Local Government Finance (Hansard, 23 February 1990)

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys-based adult population figures were replaced as a basis for the underlying data for calculating revenue support grant by information from the community charge register; if he will publish a table giving for each local authority the difference between the two and the financial effect of this on that authority's standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement on the accuracy of these measures.

§ Mr. Chope
We announced our intention to base certain revenue support grant calculations on information from the community charges register in July 1989, following representations from the local authority associations and individual authorities that this was the most appropriate basis. OPCS-based estimates were used for illustrative exemplifications of the effects of our proposals when we issued a consultation paper in November last year because they were then the only population data available. I have placed in the Library a table showing for each charging authority the difference between OPCS-based estimates and those derived from community charges registers. Apart from one minor aspect, standard spending assessments are based on estimates of the whole population and the number falling within certain age bands and are therefore calculated using OPCS estimates rather than community charges registers.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in theOfficial Report the information placed in the Library with his written reply dated 14 February, Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult in each region etc.

§ Mr. Chope
Where tables relating to local government finance run to more than about a page of A4 it is our practice to place the tables in the Library rather than publishing the figures in theOfficial Report.

§ Mr. Winnick
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will provide for a national referendum on the poll tax.

§ Mr. Chope
No.