§ Mr. BoatengTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has set aside public funds for an explanatory advertising campaign on the introduction of the poll tax in England and Wales.
§ Mr. HowardProvision was made in the public expenditure estimates for 1988–89 for expenditure on information on the community charge and uniform business rate to be made available after Royal Assent to the Local Government Finance Bill, but no decisions have yet been taken on the form or cost of any such expenditure.
§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether local authorities are now able to lease offices to accommodate staff for poll tax; and what conditions will have to be fulfilled for such leases not to count as prescribed expenditure.
§ Mr. RidleyLocal authorities do not require my consent to acquire accommodation, of whatever tenure, to be used for the purposes of any of their functions. The acquisition of a leasehold interest in office accommodation will entail prescribed expenditure unless paragraph 3(1) of schedule 3 to the Local Government (Prescribed Expenditure) (Consolidation and Amendment) Regulations 1987 as amended by the Local Government (Prescribed Expenditure) (Amendment) Regulations 1988 applies to the acquisition. The amount of prescribed expenditure is laid down in section 80 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and, subject to Parliament's approval to the Local Government Finance Bill, clauses 129 and 130 (first Lords print) of that Bill.