§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the Price Waterhouse report commissioned by his Department on administering the community charge; and what arrangements he is making to publish the report.
§ Mr. RidleyI expect to receive the report in May. I am considering how best to disseminate its findings.
§ Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the cost of extending the taper on the community charge rebate from 20 per cent. to 15 per cent.; and what additional resources will be allocated for this purpose.
§ Mr. HowardThe cost is estimated at between £115 million and £130 million in Great Britain at 1988–89 prices, in a full year. Virtually all the cost to individual local authorities of the rebates they make is met by specific grants.
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§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many mentally handicapped people(a) in receipt of severe disablement allowance and (b) not in receipt of severe disablement allowance will not be exempt from the proposed poll tax;
(2) how many severe disablement allowance claimants will be exempt from the proposed poll tax on the grounds that they are severely mentally handicapped.
§ Mr. HowardUnder the exemption proposed in schedule 1(4) to the Local Government Finance Bill, all those who are exempted from the personal community charge by reason of severe mental handicap will be in receipt of severe disablement allowance. In addition. some mentally handicapped people receiving SDA will be exempt because they are being cared for in hospitals and nursing homes. It is not possible to say how many mentally handicapped people not in receipt of SDA will riot be exempt from the community charge. The Government are reconsidering the scope of the exemption for people who are severely mentally handicapped.