§ Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the community water charge120W will be payable by (a) students, (b) student nurses, (c) families on income support and (d) senior citizens on retirement pensions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 22 July 1988]: Persons undertaking a full-time course of education, as defined in the Personal Community Charge (Students) (Scotland) Regulations 1988, will be liable to pay a prescribed percentage (set in those regulations as 20 per cent.) of the personal community charge and the personal community water charge. The Government are now considering, in the light of amendments made to the Local Government Finance Bill, whether student nurses should receive a similar concession.
All other people liable to pay the personal community charge will be eligible for income related rebates or benefits, in the case of income support recipients amounting to 80 per cent. of their personal community charge liability. Community water charges will not come within the community charge rebate or benefit system. However, under the reformed social security system introduced on 1 April 1988 the minimum contribution towards rates payments, and the overall amount made available through supplementary benefit towards water charges, are taken into account in setting income support levels. Similar principles will apply from April 1989 in respect of the community charge system.