HC Deb 20 April 1988 vol 131 cc478-80W
19. Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of(a) Age Concern, (b) the Child Poverty Action Group, (c) the Low Pay Unit, (d) the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, and (e) the British Council of Churches to discuss the effects of the poll tax; and what was discussed.

Mr. Chope

I have not had a request for a meeting to discuss the community charge from any of these bodies.

23. Mr. Devlin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of electors in the boroughs of Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough currently pay domestic rates; and what forecast he has of the proportion that will pay the community charge.

Mr. Chope

About half the electors in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees pay rates, whereas virtually all electors will pay the community charge.

36. Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of gainers and losers from the proposed poll tax in Lewisham.

Mr. Howard

The estimates of gainers and losers from the introduction of the community charge which I published on 13 Janaury were produced using data from the family expenditure survey. Projections for individual local authority areas are not possible because of the limitations of the sample survey data.

40. Mr. Knox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people and how many organisations have made representations to him in favour of the community charge since June 1987.

Mr. Nicholas Ridley

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion).

47. Mr. Cunliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the average community charge that would be levied in 1988–89 if the Local Government Finance Bill were in force.

Mr. Howard

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) on 28 March at column312.

65. Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of people who will be exempt from paying any community charge under the proposals in the Local Government Finance Bill.

Mr. Howard

I estimate that about ½ million people will be exempt from the community charge.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps, following the introduction of the community charge, to ensure that landlords allow a reduction in rents equivalent to the amount of community charge which the tenant will thereafter have to pay personally.

Mr. Howard

Many tenants already pay rent exclusive of rates, and pay their rates direct to the local authority. Tenants with registered rents, which are always fixed exclusive of rates, will no longer be liable for any separate rates contribution to their landlord when the community charge is introduced. For tenancies granted before the current Housing Bill becomes law, tenants who do not have a registered rent, and who do not know what the rates element of their rent may be, can if necessary at any time register a rent to establish this.

Where a rent assessment committee arbitrates on market rents for new-style assured and shorthold tenancies granted after the Housing Bill becomes law, but before domestic rates are abolished, these rents will also be exclusive of rates. For other assured tenancies granted before the introduction of the community charge, where the tenant has not been paying rates direct to the local authority, it will be for the parties to negotiate a reduction in the rent to reflect the abolition of rates. We shall be issuing advice to tenants on this. We see no need for further measures.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost to local authorities of developing computer systems for the poll tax.

Mr. Howard

This is one of the aspects of a study now being undertaken by Price Waterhouse on which a report is expected next month.

Mr. Wood

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the increase in the maximum net weekly incomes that would qualify for community charge rebates by using a taper of 15 per cent. instead of a taper of 20 per cent. in calculating rebate entitlement.

Mr. Howard

The increase in maximum net weekly incomes that would qualify for community charge rebates by using a taper of 15 per cent. instead of a taper of 20 per cent. would vary according to circumstances of the claimant and the level of the community charge.

I have today placed in the Library a table showing the increase over a range of community charges, for a single person aged 18–24, a couple with two children under 11, and a pensioner couple aged 60–79.

So, for example, on the basis of a taper of 15 per cent., a couple with two children aged under 11, where the community charge is £224 would qualify for a rebate with a net weekly income of up to 131.77. In gross terms this would be approximately £7,700 per annum or nearly three quarters of the national average wage.