HC Deb 16 May 1989 vol 153 cc183-4W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table outlining how many people his Department estimates will gain and how many will lose as a result of the introduction of the community charge in(a) Leeds, West and (b) Kirkstall ward.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16 March at column 318, to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out(a) all the exempt categories of those who will not have to pay the poll tax and (b) the exact nature and amount of the exemptions including housing benefit payment arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. The categories of people who are exempt from liability to pay the personal community charge are listed in schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988. We estimate that the number of individuals in these categories will be about half a million.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside of 8 May,Official Report, column 350, he will publish the letter in the Official Report.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply of 11 May at column521 to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham).

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who(a) collected the local information for and (b) distributed the newspaper articles on the poll tax in the name of the Minister for Local Government which appeared last week.

Mr. Gummer

The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. My articles were distributed by the Department's press office and the regional offices of the COI. The information they contained was collected from a range of sources.

Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the leaflets entitled "The Community Charge (the So-called Poll Tax); How It Will Work for You" have been printed.

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 12 May 1989]: A total of 23 million.

Mr. Grocott

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of printing the leaflets entitled "The Community Charge (the So-called Poll Tax); How it Will Work for You."

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 12 May 1989]: The total cost of production was £367,887.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the newspapers which received articles on the poll tax in the name of the Minister for Local Government last week.

Mr. Gummer

I shall write to the hon. Gentleman shortly with this information.

Mr. Kaufman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when regulations relating to the processing of information gathered for the purpose of compiling the poll tax register will come into effect; what guidelines his Department will issue to councils on this matter; what representations he has received concerning the sending out by Westminster city council of registration forms with a 21-day deadline for reply; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 10 May 1989]: The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

Regulations prescribing the powers of community charges registration officers to require information from the public were laid before Parliament on 17 March and come into force on 22 May. Where information is required under this provision, the person concerned has 21 days within which to respond. It is open to CCRO's to seek information before that date on a voluntary basis but they have been advised that such requests would not have any statutory character. I expect however that most recipients of requests before 22 May will co-operate by providing the information to compile the register in a smooth and economical manner.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to meet the costs which have so far been incurred in setting up the community charge system in Nottingham beyond the £307,000 specific grant for 1989–90 already made available.

Mr. Gummer

No. To agree to meet any costs incurred by authorities in preparing for the community charge would give no incentive to efficiency. Nottingham has been allocated £306,864 specific grant and a similar amount of expenditure has been supported through RSG. It is now for it to use its available resources to ensure that the new arrangements are effectively implemented.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what a managing director would pay(a) in community charge and (b) in a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in proportions of 80–20, respectively, if he or she lived in a typical five-bedroom house in Hornsey;

(2) what a home-help would pay (a) in community charge and (b) in a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in proportions of 80–20, respectively, if he or she lived in a typical council high-rise flat in Hornsey.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 2 May, at column 46.