HC Deb 18 October 1989 vol 158 cc152-5W
Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing his estimate of the amount of transitional relief to be paid in each local authority area in 1990–91.

Mr. Chris Patten

I have made no estimate of the amount of transitional relief to be paid in each local authority area in 1990–91. I estimate that about £ 300 million will be paid to chargepayers in England in 1990–91.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he had before 11 October with the computer industry about the feasibility of his proposals for transitional relief.

Mr. Chris Patten

Our assessment of the feasibility of the proposals was based on the Department's knowledge of the computing arrangements for implementing the community charge, but it was necessary to wait until the scheme was announced before discussion of the specific proposals could begin. The present discussions with representatives of the computer industry will be fully taken into account in finalising the details of the scheme.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of persons in each local authority area who will benefit from the proposed transitional relief.

Mr. Chris Patten

I have made no estimate of the number of people in each local authority area who will benefit from transitional relief. I estimate that of the order of 6 million adults in England will benefit from transitional relief.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor the implementation of(a) poll tax and (b) transitional relief; and if he will make a statement on his assessment of local authorities' present progress in setting up poll tax with particular reference to problems of interfacing poll tax soft ware with rebates software.

Mr. Chris Patten

Throughout the past year, Ministers and officials have been pursuing a programme of visits to charging authorities. Authorities were asked to provide a report of their plans at the beginning of the year and a questionnaire about progress with preparations was sent to authorities in May. A report based on the response will be placed in the Library shortly. In general authorities appear to be making good progress with implementation, including with their computing arrangements.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether community charge bills for persons benefiting from transitional relief will be required to show(a) 1990–91 community charge for spending in line with government assumptions (national community charge), (b) 1990–91 community charge for spending in line with standard spending assessment and (c) 1990–91 community charge actually levied by the charging authority.

Mr. Chris Patten

We shall be consulting very shortly the local authority associations and local authorities on the form of the community charge bill.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether community charge registration officers will be permitted to demand information as to whether poll tax payers are pensioners or disabled for the purposes of administering transitional relief.

Mr. Chris Patten

No. The administration of transitional relief will be a function of the charging authority, not the registration officer.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make it his policy to discuss the feasibility of his proposals for transitional relief with the Audit Commission in order to gauge the effect of his proposals on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of local authority financial administration.

Mr. Chris Patten

Yes.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the criteria to be used in defining a couple for the purpose of operating the community charge transitional relief scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the criteria to be used in defining a person as disabled for the purpose of making an application under the community charge transitional relief scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the community charge transitional relief entitlements of those people hitherto exempt from poll tax discharged after 1 April 1990 from residential homes and hospitals and hitherto in order to be cared For in the community.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the community charge transitional relief entitlements of those people who move house after 1 April 1990(a) within their existing local authority area and (b) to another local authority area.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance has been given to general practitioners about the definition of severe mental impairment for the purposes of exemptions from poll tax.

Dr. Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his proposals for transitional relief for two person households will apply exclusively to husbands and wives and to persons of different sex living together as husband and wife.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: The Government have issued a consultation document on community charge transitional relief, a copy of which has been placed in the library. Consultations are now taking place with the local authority associations and full details of the scheme will be published as soon as possible.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement listing(a) all those degenerative conditions which can now be assessed for the purpose of granting community charge exemptions, (b) the procedures to be followed for assessment and (c) the advice to be issued on this matter to community charge registration officers and general practitioners.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: It is intended to amend the provisions of paragraph 4 of Schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to add attendance allowance and constant attendance allowance to the list of benefits in sub-paragraph (2). The definitions in sub-paragraph (3) will also be amended to remove the provisions limiting the exemption to those whose development of mind is arrested or incomplete, or who have suffered an injury to the brain. It will still be necessary for a registered medical practitioner to state that the individual is severely mentally impaired. Advice to registration officers and general practitioners will be issued as soon as possible.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the extent of his discussions with representatives of local government on the operation of the community charge transitional relief scheme before announcing the new scheme on 11 October.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: The announcement on 11 October was made first to Parliament. Discussions were held with local authority representatives immediately afterwards. Further discussions on the operational aspects of the scheme will take place shortly.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for each charging authority the safety-netted community charge for 1990–91 assuming a service distribution based on 1989–90 budgets and total spending of £ 32.8 billion.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: This information is not at present available.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the likely effects of the new community charge transitional relief scheme on(a) the total amount of community charge benefit to be paid in 1990–91, (b) the numbers of people who will be eligible for benefit and (c) the savings which will result in 1990–91 from calculating benefit after relief has been given.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security who is responsible for community charge benefit, will write to the hon. Member in due course about the effect of the community charge transitional relief scheme on expen-diture on community charge benefit.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his best estimate of the costs of administering the community charge transitional relief scheme in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

Mr. David Hunt

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: My officials are discussing the costs of setting up and administering transitional relief with the local authority associations. Estimates will be made in the light of these discussions and an urgent study by consultants of the likely costs. It is the Government's intention that a reasonable level of costs will be met in full.