§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce legislation specifically to prohibit any information collected for benefit purposes being disclosed to the community charge officer; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HowardNo. As I told the House on 20 April, at column 840, it is intended to allow the names and addresses of income support claimants to be passed to the community charges registration officer.
§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will take steps to ensure that persons requested to supply information to community charge registration officers are informed that the requirement to do so within 21 days of the request does not mean that they are compelled to comply with any request to return the form immediately or within a few days of receipt.
§ Mr. HowardRegulations will provide that persons requested to supply information to community charge registration officers will have 21 days in which to do so. It will be for registration officers to decide the procedures for collecting information, but these must observe the statutory time limit.