Rating Reform (Hansard, 27 April 1989)

§ Mr. Allen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions and representations he has had about the collection of unpaid poll tax.

§ Mr. Gummer
The Government have no intention of introducing a poll tax. We have discussed the community charge recovery system extensively with a wide range of interested bodies.

§ Mr. Allen
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what factors influenced his decision to begin registration for the poll tax after, rather than before, the county council elections.

§ Mr. Gummer
The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. My letter of 23 December 1988 to the chairman of the local authority associations sets out the reasons for the operative date of the regulations enabling community charge registration officers to require information from individuals for the purposes of compiling their registers. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Library.

§ Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to provide protection to agricultural workers in tied housing in relation to the payment of the community charge.

§ Mr. Gummer
The personal community charge is not related to the type of property occupied. People in tied accommodation who are subject to it will, in common with all chargepayers, have the protection of the rebate scheme, which specifically links people's liability to their ability to pay.

§ Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to issue guidance to local authorities on the rights of access to local services of those community charge payers who are either living or registered in a local authority area for a short period of time due to their itinerant lifestyle.

§ Mr. Gummer
No.

§ Mr. Hinchliffe
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if adults placed with carers on adult placement schemes will be required to pay poll tax.

§ Mr. Gummer
The Government have no plans to introduce poll tax.
Exemption from the personal community charge depends on the circumstances of the individual concerned. Any exemption in cases described by the hon. Gentleman would depend on whether the individual qualifies for exemption on any of the grounds set out in schedule I to the Local Government Finance Act 1988.