HC Deb 28 November 1989 vol 162 cc159-60W
Mr. Riddick

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will calculate the financial effects on commercial and industrial concerns in(a) Colne Valley constituency, (b) Kirklees metropolitan district council and (c) Yorkshire and Humberside region resulting from the introduction of the unified business rate, and what is his estimate of the likely effect in employment in these areas resulting from the introduction of the unified business rate.

Mr. Chope

The Inland Revenue sample survey of the effects of the uniform business rate and of the non-domestic revaluation, the results of which were published in July, suggested that the aggregate of non-domestic rate bills in the Yorkshire and Humberside region would fall by £80 million (10 per cent.) in real terms in 1990–91 and by £210 million (25 per cent.) a year in real terms once the new system was fully in place. No information is yet available at sub-regional level. I have made no estimate on the likely effect of these changes on employment.

Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in order of administrative cost the various options available under current legislation for payment of the community charge.

Mr. Chope

Under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, chargepayers with a full-year liability must be offered the facility of paying their charge by 10 monthly instalments. Authorities will have a discretion to offer smaller, more frequent, instalments if they wish and to offer appropriate discounts to those who choose to pay in a single lump sum.

There are no statutory requirements on the method of payment chargepayers may offer. The Audit Commission's 1986 report "Improving Cash Flow Management in Local Government" listed the cost of different payment methods as follows:

Pence per transaction
Direct Debit 12.9
Standing Order/Bank Giro 20.5
Postal remittance 28.5
Cash collection 50.5

Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent pre-school nursery education provided by local education authorities is taken into account in his calculation of standard spending assessments in respect of the poll tax.

Mr. Chope

The standard spending assessment for education is a measure of the appropriate amount of revenue expenditure consistent with providing a standard level of service, taking account of each authority's social, demographic and geographical characteristics. It takes no account of the actual provision of services, such as pre-school nursery education, by each authority.

Mr. Rooker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why, in calculating the standard spending assessments for poll tax in respect of children at risk, he decided to take account only of children of lone parents and children of claimants of income support.

Mr. Chope

My right hon. Friend did not. The children-at-risk indicator also takes account of the number of resident children aged under 18 years of age, and the proportion of children aged under 16 living in private households in rented accommodation. The selection of these indicators is based on recent research conducted by the personal social services research unit at Kent university and was the subject of consultation with the local authority associations.