§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list those caring institutions which will be exempted from the proposed community charge, and the reasons for which they have been exempted.
§ Mr. HowardThe exemption for residents of caring institutions will apply to those who are solely or mainly resident in such institutions and are receiving care and/or treatment there. The institutions concerned will be private and voluntary residential care homes; local authority residential care homes; registered nursing and mental nursing homes; and certain hostels providing accommodation and care.
In many cases people living in these establishments will have relatively little contact with the local democratic process and will be unable to make full use of local 204W authority services. In addition, problems of definition might arise if residents in hospitals were exempted from personal community charges but residents in homes were not.