§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's estimate of(a) the lowest and (b) the highest level of poll tax to be levied by a local authority.
§ Mr. GummerThe Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. We published on 23 June illustrative figures showing what the community charge would have been in each area, had the new system been in force in 1988–89. Those illustrative figures assume existing levels of spending and existing local authority responsibilities. On that basis, the lowest community charge in England would have been £152 with a full transitional safety net (Teesdale) and £132 with no safety net (Isles of Scilly). The highest would have been £488 with a full safety net (City of London) and £639 with no safety net (Camden).