§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will express Ealing's rates as a community charge for(a) 1985–86, (b) 1986–87, (c) 1987–88 and (d) 1989–90; what a community charge of (i) £450 and (ii) £494 in Ealing would be expressed as a rate poundage; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeIt would not be meaningful to convert rate poundages into community charges in the way requested. It is our intention when community charges are finally set to say what the increase would have been in domestic rates had that taken the place of the community charge.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to include in his orders for community charge capping a requirement for affected councils to notify all charge payers of the new rate of charge; if he will estimate the cost of this measure; and what is his policy as to whether that cost will be born by the council as part of its level of spending that central government will have approved.
§ Mr. ChopeIf any authority were to be capped, it would be necessary for the charging authority or authorities for the area concerned to inform chargepayers of the new level of community charges which would result. As my right hon. Friend has made clear, it would not be right for him to speculate on the operation of any capping scheme which might need to be introduced for 1990–91.
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in theOfficial Report the calculations showing how the London borough of Newham contributes £3.06 million to the safety net arrangements for each of the elements described in the annex to the Revenue Support Grant Transition Report HC50 of January.
§ Mr. ChopeThe adjustment to Newham's revenue support grant entitlement for 1990–91 of —£3,057,835 set out in the revenue support grant transitional report (England) was calculated as 53.624562 per cent. of the difference between the figure arrived at under paragraph 3 of the annex to that report (the amount to be raised from the domestic sector in 1990–91: £49,014,662) and the figure arrived at under paragraph 2 of that annex (the amount raised from the domestic sector in 1989–90: £54,716,964). 53.624562 is the percentage referred to in paragraph 4 of the annex.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average community charge to be levied in each of the district council areas of Shropshire and Powys.
§ Mr. ChopeNo returns providing information on average charges have been received by the Department or by the Welsh Office for the districts concerned.
§ Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 27 February,Official Report, columns 173–74, to the hon. Member for Conventry, South-East, and his reply to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) of 21 February, Official Report, column 741, he will give any information he has about the level of personal community charges.
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§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many exemptions have been given to disabled people eligible to pay the community charge; and if he will list the categories of people who have(a) been exempted from the community charge and (b) sought such exemptions but have been rejected.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the position of disabled people and their requirement to meet payments in connection with the community charge; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeWe continue to receive representation on all aspects of the community charge. Generous help is available to disabled people with low incomes who are subject to a personal community charge. The community charge benefit scheme includes a disability premium which means that disabled people may qualify for rebates at higher levels of income than other claimants. Disabled people who have not previously paid rates may be eligible for extra help under the community charge transitional relief scheme.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply of 14 February,Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult, whether the proposed reduction of 28 per cent. in the local payers' contribution to local expenditure in Bedfordshire assumes an increase in the per adult contribution made by central Government; and whether he will publish the per adult figures for the central Government contribution in each case together with figures showing that contribution as a percentage of the local payers' contribution.
§ Mr. Christopher Chope[holding answer 1 March 1990]: The Government have not proposed a specific increase in local contribution to expenditure in Bedfordshire. I refer the hon. Member to the answer to him on 27 February, Official Report column 179. Equivalent figures for Bedfordshire are as follows:
External support for Bedfordshire External support per adult External support as percentage of rate/ chargepayer contribution Underlying 1990–91 assumed community charge with safety net 478 162.1 Underlying 1989–90 average rate bill per adult 412 126.9 Underlying assumed long run community charge 528 216.0
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply 14 February,Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult, whether the proposed reduction of 34 per cent. in the local payer's contribution 439W to local expenditure in Berkshire assumes an increase in the per adult contribution made by central Government; and whether he will publish the per adult figures for the central Government contribution in each case together with figures showing that contribution as a percentage of the local payer's contribution.
§ Mr. Chope[holding answer 1 March 1990]: The Government have not proposed a specific increase in local contribution to expenditure in Berkshire. I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 27 February, Official Report, column 179. Equivalent figures for Berkshire are as follows:
External support for Berkshire External support per adult £ External support as percentage of rate/ chargepayer contribution Underlying 1990–91 assumed community charge with safety net 448 172.5 Underlying 1989–90 average rate bill per adult 363 121.2 Underlying assumed long run community charge 502 244.2
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment up to what expenditure figure per head of population Tonbridge and Mailing borough council will be able to spend in 1990–91 to enable its comunity charge payers to pay no more than £3 a week over their 1989–90 rates under the transitional relief scheme for individuals he announced in October 1989.
§ Mr. David Hunt[holding answer 2 March 1990]: There will be no increase greater than the maximum allowed by the transitional relief scheme provided the community charge set by Tonbridge and Mailing is no more than £227.69. It is not possible to estimate the level of spending by Tonbridge and Mailing borough council which would give rise to a change at this level since the charge depends largely on spending by Kent county council and the use both authorities make of reserves.