§ Lord Mulleyasked her Majesty's Government:
What advice they gave to local authorities concerning the allowance they should make for non-payment of the community charge in fixing the community charge for their district and whether the Exchequer will make grants available to meet the shortfall in the event of the advice proving optimistic and to avoid this additional burden falling in future years on those who do pay.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Strathclyde)It is for each individual authority to decide what provision to make for non-payment of the community charge, as was the case under the rates. Local authorities should make every effort to secure the payment of charges which are due, and are rightly accountable for any failure to do so. It would be quite wrong to pay Exchequer grant in respect of 1433WA non-payment—that would simply transfer the burden to the national taxpayer and would reduce accountability.