HC Deb 19 December 1988 vol 144 cc40-1W
Mr. Macdonald

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the powers to be given to council officials to enforce payment of the poll tax.

Mr. Gummer

The Government have no plans to introduce a "poll tax". Where someone has defaulted on the community charge, a local authority will be able to enforce payment once it has obtained an order from a magistrate.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the number of households and tax units gaining or losing when domestic rates are fully replaced by the community charge in England and Wales, assuming that the social security arrangements prior to the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986 are in operation in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 22 October 1986,Official Report, columns 871–72.

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 15 December 1988]: No. Illustrative community charge figures published by the Government have always been on the basis of the tax and benefit rates in force at the time of publication. I have not been prepared to proceed by hypothetical example—either in forecasting the future or by "what if?" versions of history. Figures I have placed in the Library show that 58 per cent of households will pay less with community charge than with rates.