§ Mr. KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in theOfficial Report those medical sources from which he sought advice over the desirability of including Alzheimer's disease in the list of exempted conditions for poll tax purposes; what is the medical definiton of the "fluctuating nature" to which he referred in the Official Report, 1 February, column 281; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LangMy right hon. and learned Friend receives medical advice from the chief medical officer, Scottish Home and Health Department, and his staff. People with degenerative mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease have a gradual onset of their condition leading to a progressive decline in all aspects of mental functioning. Fluctuations in the level of mental functioning may occur during the natural progression of the degenerative condition and may also occur if the person develops an additional illness.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest estimates of the cost of collecting the community charge for each one of the regions in Scotland; and what is the present cost of collecting the rates.
§ Mr. LangAll regional councils in Scotland will have included an estimate of the cost of collecting the564W community charge in the budgets which they have now set for 1989–90. Full details of their budgets have not yet been submitted to the Scottish Office.
The latest estimate of the cost to each regional council of collecting the rates are contained in their budgets for 1988–89 and are set out in the table.
£ million Borders 0.669 Central 1.155 Dumfries and Galloway 0.743 Fife 1.279 Grampian 12.146 Highland 0.936 Lothian 6.258 Strathclyde 10.005 Tayside 2.767 1 Excludes lands valuation, for which Grampian did not make a separate estimate.