§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance has been issued in respect of liability for community charge as to whether a service men has his sole or main residence in Scotland if he is stationed in Scotland but has married quarters in England.
§ Mr. NeubertDecisions on sole or main residence in Scotland will be made by community charge registration officers, and subject to the right of appeal to the sheriff. Service personnel who have a married quarter in England but are stationed in Scotland for more than six months are expected to be regarded as solely or mainly resident in Scotland for that time, and guidance has been issued to this effect.
§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions he has issued to commanding officers in relation to registering service personnel, their dependants and others living in military accommodation for community charges in(a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales.
§ Mr. NeubertCommanding officers in Scotland have been instructed to nominate a responsible person or persons to provide community charge registration officers with the information required by the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, to enable them to compile and maintain the community charges register. Similar instructions will be issued in due course for England and Wales.
§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has made arrangements in Scotland for the liability for community charge for service personnel and their dependants to be paid by way of direct deductions from service pay.
§ Mr. NeubertArmy personnel who so elect to pay their personal community charge, and that of their dependants by direct deduction from service pay under standard allotment procedures. Because Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel are normally paid by direct credit transfer to their bank or other accounts, they will be expected to make their own arrangements for paying their personal community charge direct to the relevant local authority.