HC Deb 15 November 1989 vol 160 cc352-3W
27. Mr. Patrick Thompson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Angus district council on the implementation of the community charge.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

My right hon. and learned Friend has received no such representations from Angus district council.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department intends to recalculate poll tax rebates, in the light of entitlement to relief under the transitional poll tax scheme.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

[holding answer 14 November 1989]: Relief will be calculated on the basis of peoples' liabilities before any reduction by community charge rebate. The administrative implications of this are under discussion with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

55. Mr Canavan

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the number of people in Scotland who are in arrears with their poll tax payments.

60. Mr. Hind

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how current payment levels under the community charge compare to payment levels under the old domestic rating system at a similar point in the last financial year.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Local authorities have reported good progress in the collection of the community charge with up to 96 per cent. of payers having paid in some areas. This is encouraging given that the community charge is a new tax and the number of people liable to pay is much larger than for domestic rates. It is of course difficult to draw precise comparisons with the collection of domestic rates, but it does appear that the pace at which community charge income is coming through to local authorities is broadly similar to the pace at which domestic rate income came through last year.