§ Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridgeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether prisoners will be eligible for rebates on the standard community charge levied on their sole unoccupied homes.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Henley)Prisoners in detention are exempted from the personal community charge, unless they are detained for defaulting on the payment of fines or, in England and Wales, for their failure to pay relevant community charges. Community charge benefit is awarded in respect of the personal community charge and of collective community charge contributors, but not in respect of the standard community charge. In England and Wales individual authorities are free to determine the level of the standard charge for the sole unoccupied homes of prisoners: this may be nil or a multiplier of the personal charge for their area. Benefit will not be payable on any standard charge they have to pay. In Scotland the standard community charge is not levied on the sole unoccupied homes of prisoners.