HC Deb 16 July 1990 vol 176 cc447-52W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance was given by his Department to local authorities on the recruitment of suitably qualified computer systems operators for processing community charge payments;

(2) what guidelines were issued by his Department on the operation of computer systems for processing community charge payments.

Mr. Chope

My Department has issued guidance to local authorities and the major computer companies on the operation of all aspects of the community charge. We continue to keep them up to date as necessary with any changes in the arrangements. It is the responsibility of local authorities, which vary greatly in size and requirements, to ensure that they have suitable computer systems and staff to operate them.

Mr. Higgins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers local authorities have to charge a different rate of community charge to those with two sets of accommodation in the light of individual circumstances.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 11 July 1990]: Local authorities have a wide discretion in levying the standard community charge on the owners of domestic properties which are not used as a sole or main residence. They may at the beginning of each financial year set for the whole of that year the multiplier for the standard charge at zero, half, one, one and a half or two times the personal community charge for the area. If the authority wishes, different multipliers may be set for different classes of circumstances providing these do not exceed the maximum multipliers prescribed for 11 particular circumstances defined in regulations. Authorities may also determine, within defined criteria, their own further classes for the purpose of applying different multipliers. They may also in certain classes prescribe periods of grace within which no charge is payable. Multipliers cannot be varied during the course of a year.

My right hon. Friend is currently reviewing the use that authorities have made of their discretion during 1990–91 and may in due course propose further classes which are to be subject to maximum multipliers in 1991–92 and future years.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate has been made of the extra administration costs for each authority which has been capped.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 12 July 1990]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his statement on 3 April 1990 about community charge capping in England—Official Report, Volume 170, column 1033—we estimate that the costs per authority will be about £200,000 per charging authority. The Secretary of State took account of this amongst the other relevant factors in deciding on the appropriate levels of cap.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average increase across England in standard spending assessments as against grant-related expenditure assessments for 1990–91 against 1989–90; what were the figures for Calderdale; and what were the causes of the deviation between Calderdale and the national average.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 12 July 1990]: Standard spending assessments (SSAs) for 1990–91 were around 10 per cent. higher than the total of grant-related expenditure assessments (GREs) for 1989–90, adjusted on to a comparable basis. The equivalent increase for Calderdale was 4.1 per cent. The SSA for Calderdale was calculated, as for all authorities, according to the formulae set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) approved by the House on 18 January, using the appropriate data (as described in annex A to that report) for Calderdale, reflecting its social, physical and demographic characteristics.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of administering the rates each year since 1979 in each of the authorities which have been capped.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 12 July 1990]: The information as returned by authorities is given in the table:

Cost of rate collection 1979–80
£000
Rochdale 564
Wigan 675
St. Helens 444
Barnsley 422
Doncaster 532
Rotherham 245
North Tyneside 771
Calderdale 335
Camden 854
Greenwich 572
Hammersmith and Fulham 615
Islington 841
Lambeth 800
Southwark 787
Brent 738
Haringey 747
Hillingdon 548
Bristol 987
Basildon 184

1980–81
£000
Rochdale 675
Wigan 825
St. Helens 566
Barnsley 443
Doncaster 659
Rotherham 485
North Tyneside 922
Calderdale 385
Camden 1,228
Greenwich 681
Hammersmith and Fulham 920
Islington 783
Lambeth 1,202
Southwark 1,001
Brent 930
Haringey 917
Hillingdon 685
Bristol 1,206
Basildon 217

1981–82
£000
Rochdale 584
Wigan 911
St. Helens 590
Barnsley 734
Doncaster 700
Rotherham 552
North Tyneside 1,219
Calderdale 534
Camden 1,817
Greenwich 721
Hammersmith and Fulham 950
Islington 1,286
Lambeth 1,014
Southwark 1,246
Brent 1,171
Haringey 813
Hillingdon 782
Bristol 1,129
Basildon 237

1982–83
£000
Rochdale 636
Wigan 1,092
St. Helens 599
Barnsley 887
Doncaster 688
Rotherham 601
North Tyneside 1,113
Calderdale 594
Camden 1,652
Greenwich 924
Hammersmith & Fulham 1,045
Islington 1,398
Lambeth 932
Southwark 1,184
Brent 1,226
Haringey 803
Hillingdon 810

£000
Bristol 1,353
Basildon 271

1983–84
£000
Rochdale 697
Wigan 1,082
St. Helens 660
Barnsley 923
Doncaster 625
Rotherham 556
North Tyneside 794
Calderdale 640
Camden 1,431
Greenwich 1,595
Hammersmith & Fulham 1,157
Islington 1,742
Lambeth 1,167
Southwark 1,324
Brent 2,036
Haringey 923
Hillingdon 970
Bristol 1,414
Basildon 319

1984–85
£000
Rochdale 682
Wigan 982
St. Helens 558
Barnsley 745
Doncaster 643
Rotherham 475
North Tyneside 555
Calderdale 818
Camden 1,480
Greenwich 1,639
Hammersmith and Fulham 961
Islington 1,894
Lambeth 1,103
Southwark 1,213
Brent 2,074
Haringey 827
Hillingdon 969
Bristol 1,213
Basildon 253

1985–86
£000
Rochdale 666
Wigan 1,058
St. Helens 720
Barnsley 1,043
Doncaster 682
Rotherham 627
North Tyneside 598
Calderdale 605
Camden 1,509
Greenwich 1,693
Hammersmith and Fulham 808
Islington 2,576
Lambeth 1,103
Southwark 1,059
Brent 2,643
Haringey 862

£000
Hillingdon 977
Bristol 1,336
Basildon 306

1986–87
£000
Rochdale 675
Wigan 1,071
St. Helens 727
Barnsley 1,161
Doncaster 772
Rotherham 691
North Tyneside 776
Calderdale 710
Camden 1,589
Greenwich 2,108
Hammersmith and Fulham 887
Islington 1,968
Lambeth 1,710
Southwark 998
Brent 1,682
Haringey 924
Hillingdon 937
Bristol 1,460
Basildon 367

1987–88
£000
Rochdale 774
Wigan 1,259
St. Helens 620
Barnsley 952
Doncaster 846
Rotherham 793
North Tyneside 1,208
Calderdale 637
Camden 1,554
Greenwich 1,516
Hammersmith and Fulham 1,503
Islington 2,194
Lambeth 1,756
Southwark 1,132
Brent 1,853
Haringey 1,019
Hillingdon 1,088
Bristol 1,470
Basildon 385

1988–89
£000
Rochdale 822
Wigan 1,473
St. Helens 500
Barnsley 943
Doncaster 856
Rotherham 943
North Tyneside 1,303
Calderdale 571
Camden 1,462
Greenwich 1,858
Hammersmith and Fulham 1,937
Islington 2,126
Lambeth 1,804
Southwark 1,189

£000
Brent 1,449
Haringey 827
Hillingdon 1,045
Bristol 1,636
Basildon 490

1989–90
£000
Rochdale 837
Wigan 1,375
St. Helens 793
Barnsley 981
Doncaster 1,046
Rotherham 704
North Tyneside 1,151
Calderdale 526
Camden 1,389
Greenwich 1,197
Hammersmith and Fulham 2,853
Islington 2,833
Lambeth 2,007
Southwark 1,562
Brent 2,253
Haringey 891
Hillingdon 1,191
Bristol 1,683
Basildon 561

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what extra resources the Government will make available to each poll tax-capped authority.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 12 July 1990]: The Government will make available to authorities no extra resources as a consequence of designation for charge capping.

Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the clearing banks about the workings of the direct debit system to process community charge payments.

Mr. Chope

My Department has been in close touch with the major clearing banks, the Association for Payment Clearing Services and local authorities about the use of direct debits for community charge payments. We have issued guidance to local authorities on the use of direct debit in our practice note on collection of the community charge. Since the commencement of the community charge system on 1 April 1990 we have not received any representations from the clearing banks.

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