§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment his Department has made of the costs of regional authorities of(a) ensuring that the registrar of births, marriages and deaths advised the community charge registration officer of the death of an individual registered to pay the poll tax, (b) removing the deceased person's name from the community charge register (c) calculating the amount due by the deceased person and (d) preparing, mailing and pursuing the payment of that amount by the deceased person's next of kin or executor.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonUnder the provisions of the Community Charge (Notification of Deaths) (Scotland) Regulations (SI 1988 No. 2211) as amended by the Community Charges (Notification of Deaths) 645W (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 735) the district registrar, in respect of a death registered in his district is required within seven days of registration of such death to notify a number of prescribed particulars relating to the deceased to the community charges registration officer of each region or islands area within which the registration district falls. No fee is charged to regional authorities for the provision of this information. Other costs associated with removing a deceased person's entry from the community charges register and with collecting any outstanding amount of unpaid community charge are a matter for the regional or islands council concerned.
§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what record his Department is keeping of the number of complaints received at either the Scottish Office or at individual regional authorities about the levying of community charge on deceased persons.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonVery few representations on this issue have been received in the Scottish Office. Information about representations made to regional councils is not held centrally.