§ Mr. DouglasTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number currently employed by(a) central Government and (b) local government, who have been directly related to the collection of (i) domestic rates and (ii) the poll tax in 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe collection of domestic rates was the responsibility of regional and islands councils as is the collection of the community charge. Figures for the numbers of local government staff involved in these functions are not held centrally. Central Government staff are not involved in the collection of the community charge any more than they were involved in the collection of domestic rates. The numbers of such staff primarily involved in policy issues affecting these matters has fluctuated within the period, generally within the range of eight to 10.
§ Mr. DouglasTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of poll tax payers by region, in Scotland at the latest date; what is the number who are(a) one instalment behind, (b) two instalments behind, (c) three instalments behind, and (d) the account is statutorily in arrears.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe number of people included on the community charges registers as liable to pay the community charge as at September 1989 was as follows:
Regional/Islands Council Number liable (to nearest 100) Borders 78,000 Central 206,400 Dumfries and Galloway 111,400 Fife 269,000 Grampian 378,000 Highland 147,800 Lothian 604,700 Strathclyde 1,762,200 Tayside 295,600 Orkney 14,300 Shetland 16,000 Western Isles 22,300 The other information requested is not held centrally.