§ Lord Mulleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their estimate of the cost of the administration and related expenditure likely to be incurred in the introduction and collection of community charge in England and Wales in the current year; what was a comparable figure for rates in the last financial year and to what extent the additional costs will be met by the Exchequer, directly or through rate support grants as compared to the sums falling to be met by the community charge payers in this or subsequent years.
§ Lord StrathclydeThe latest estimate of the total cost of collecting and administering the community charge in England and Wales in 1990–91 is £420 million, which, with 38 million people liable to pay the charge, means a cost of £11.05 per head. The estimated cost of collecting rates in England and Wales in 1989–90 was £207 million, which, with 19 million ratepayers, implied a broadly comparable collection cost of £10.89 per head. The Government have provided £117.5 million in 1989–90 rate support grant settlement for preparation costs, £55 million by way of specific grant in England, in addition to £170.3 million for capital expenditure in 1988–89 and 1989–90. The cost of collecting the charge was allowed for in the revenue support grant for 1990–91 and will continue to be supported in 1991–92.