HC Deb 17 February 1988 vol 127 cc663-5W
36. Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest available figure of people in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in urban areas.

46. Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of families in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in rural areas.

47. Mr. John Garrett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest available figure of people in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in non-urban areas and the figure for the previous year.

Mrs. Roe

The quarterly publication "Local Authorities' action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England, Supplementary tables" includes the numbers of households temporarily placed by authorities in bed-and-breakfast accommodation. The latest issue, with the results of the third quarter 1987, gives in table 4(a) estimates of the numbers being accommodated at the end of September 1987 and a year before, by London boroughs, by metropolitan district councils and by other councils.

38. Mr. Dunnachie

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he plans to meet representatives of Britain's local authorities to discuss the proposed community charge.

59. Mr. Fraser

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the local authority associations to discuss the proposals in the Local Government Finance Bill.

69. Dr. Reid

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he plans to meet representatives of Britain's local authorities to discuss the proposed community charge.

Mr. Howard

I refer to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie) on 4 November 1987, at column737.

53. Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide an up-to-date list of all those organisations supporting the community charge and uniform business rate proposals in the Local Government Finance Bill.

67. Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have made submissions to him in support of the Local Government Finance Bill.

Mr. Howard

A summary of 1,271 responses, received by my Department before 31 October 1986, when the consultation period on the Green Paper ended, was placed in the Library on 15 December 1986. Since June 1987 my Department has received some 3,800 letters, including about 200 from local authorities and local authority associations. The letters contain a variety of comments on specific aspects of our proposals or requests for further information, and for this reason do not readily lend themselves to an analysis of correspondents' views.

64. Mr. Nicholas Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the position of parish and town councils under the community charge proposals, in the light of their prospective loss of the proceeds of rates from commercial premises.

Mr. Howard

I received a large number of representations from parish and town councils to the effect that the proposals in the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" would have deprived them of any benefit from business rate income. The introduction of the collection fund, whereby grant and redistributed non-domestic rates will be applied in support of the expenditure of all tiers of authority, should meet their concern.

70. Mr. McCrindle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received on the uniform business rate from the Confederation of British Industry and the National Association of Chambers of Commerce.

Mr. Howard

The CBI has made representations about some aspects of the uniform business rate and has asked for a £1.8 billion reduction in the total burden of rates on businesses, but has stressed that it considers the Government's proposals a substantial improvement on the status quo. The Association of British Chambers of Commerce has expressed support for the uniform business rate, but has made representations seeking improved transitional arrangements and enhanced consultation arrangements between local authorities and business, which we are considering.