Local Government Finance

HC Deb 26 July 1989 vol 157 cc772-4W

19. Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of people, in percentage terms, who have complied with the community charge registration process in England and Wales.

Mr. David Hunt

We shall not have information on the total number included in community charges registers until December 1989. It is clear, however, that in most authorities the first stage of the registration process is proceeding well.

23. Mr. Steinberg

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the possible options for need assessments under the new system of local government finance; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. David Hunt

On 12 July we discussed a report by officials, which contains a range of options for standard spending assessments, with the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance. My right hon. Friend will not be taking any final decisions until the autumn.

24. Mr. John Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the cost of introducing a system of local government finance based on capital value rates plus local income tax.

Mr. David Hunt

The Labour party's two-tax system could cost up to four times as much to administer as the existing rating system.

32. Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the level of safety net for local authorities under Her Majesty's Government's new system of local government finance.

Mr. David Hunt

The safety net is the result of the old system of local government finance. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made to the House on 19 July by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, which contained full details of the proposed safety net.

40. Dr. Goodson-Wickes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to ensure that tenants in the private rented sector are not put in the position of paying the community charge without a corresponding deduction in the rate element of their rent.

Mr. David Hunt

Protected tenants paying rents which include rates will have the normal protection of the Rent Act 1977 for tenancies entered into before 15 January 1989, and may register fair rents which are exclusive of rates. The Housing Act 1988 will apply to most tenancies entered into after that date, and any rents determined by the rent assessment committee under that Act will be exclusive of rates. Any reductions in inclusive rents arising from the introduction of community charge should be settled on the basis of individual contracts. The Department will be producing shortly a booklet on the impact between the community charge and rents in the series "You and the Community Charge".

63. Mr. Caborn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what medical advice he has considered in deciding to exclude severe dementia sufferers from community charge exemption.

Mr. David Hunt

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Redcar (Ms. Mowlam) on 28 June at column482.

75. Ms. Mowlam

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Professor Elaine Murphy of Guy's hospital, London as to the viability of assessing severe dementia for the purposes of community charge exemption; and what response he has made.

Mr. David Hunt

Professor Murphy wrote to my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Local Government on 6 July about this matter. I am now considering her letter and have agreed to meet professor Murphy to discuss it.

78. Mr. McCartney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further consideration he has given to the impact of poll tax registration on the levels of electoral registration in the light of early experience of registration.

Mr. David Hunt

If there is any impact of community charge registration on electoral registration it can be connected only with the misleading use of the term "poll tax" for party political purposes.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any illustrative figures to show the level of poll tax to be levied in Nottingham in 1990–91.

Mr. David Hunt

I have no illustrative comunity charge figures for 1990–91. Illustrative community charges published on 19 July reflect 1989–90 local authority responsibilities and levels of expenditure.

Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the criteria determining whether a local authority should be(a) a gainer or (b) a loser from the community charge safety net (i) in the estimates given for hypothetical community charges in 1988–89 and (ii) in the estimates given on 19 July for hypothetical community charges in 1989–90.

Mr. David Hunt

Areas which are shown as gaining from the safety net are those in which the total of community charges assumed to be raised from residents is higher than the total of domestic rates. Conversely, areas contributing to the safety net are those where the total of community charges are assumed to be lower.

Details of the calculations for illustrative community charges for 1988–89 and 1989–90 were contained in the explanatory notes accompanying the tables placed in the Library on 23 June 1988 and 19 July 1989, respectively.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each charging authority the average rate per adult charged in 1989–90, showing also the averages for each region, inner London, outer London and the rest of the south east separately, and for England as a whole.

Mr. David Hunt

A rate per pound of rateable value was charged by each charging authority in 1989–90. There was no rate per adult.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a senior ward sister currently living in a flat in Battersea would pay for her local services under(a) the community charge, and (b) a system of capital value rates and local income tax allocated on an 80/20 basis.

Mr. David Hunt

In 1989–90 a ward sister earning £15,000 living alone in a flat Battersea worth £70,000 would pay a community charge of £375 (disregarding the transitional safety net) and £639 under a system of capital value rates plus local income tax.