§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial and other assistance his Department will offer to promote public understanding of the poll tax(a) in Nottingham and (b) in England and Wales as a whole.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyAs explained in the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 21 October at column1034, local authorities will be receiving in 1989–90 specific Government help with the capital and revenue costs of preparing for the community charge. Between now and April 1990 the Government will be publishing material to help public understanding of the community charge; we are considering what form this material might best take. It will be for individual authorities to consider whether to provide additional material.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his assessment of the expected effect of the introduction of the unified business rate in(a) Nottingham and (b) the east midlands region.
§ Mr. GummerOn the basis of present rate poundages, business rates would fall on introduction of the uniform business rate in 1990 by 15 per cent. (£10 million) in Nottingham and by an average of 13 per cent. (£86 million) in the east midlands region; thereafter, they will rise by no more than the retail price index. These figures take no account of the revaluation of business property which is to take place in 1990.
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 28 October,Official Report, column 426, whether the regulations will prescribe a penalty if an individual attempts to make a copy of the extract of the register; and whether he will outline the advice that will be given to community charge officers if they suspect a person of taking an unauthorised copy of the extract of the register.
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§ Mr. GummerThe regulations will not prescribe a penalty, since there is no power to do so. We are advising registration officers that, should they find a person attempting to copy the extract, they should take appropriate preventive action.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of(a) the average community charge payment in 1990–91, (b) the community charge payment in Nottingham in 1990–91 and (c) the average community charge payment for those on income support in 1990–91.
§ Mr. GummerI shall write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any representations on the poll tax from the Nottingham city council.
§ Mr. GummerNottingham city council has made no representations about any poll tax. It has, however, written letters dated 30 July 1986 and 15 April 1987 about the Government's rate reform proposals.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has conducted any studies into the likely effect in recruitment of(a) student nurses and (b) nurses following the introduction of the community charge in areas of above average projected levels of community charge; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorI have been asked to reply. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Environment on 28 October at column426. We have decided that the definition of "full-time students" for community charge purposes should not be widened to include student nurses who continue to be trained under the existing pre-Project 2000, arrangements and have average earnings of between £5,400 and £6,200. Qualified nurses are about to receive pay increases averaging 17.9 per cent.; the level of community charge will doubtless be determined by local authorities with full regard to the likely effect on employment with all local employers, not just the National Health Service.