§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements will be made for inner-city funded posts under the new local government finance arrangement(a) for posts within the first three years' funding and (b) for posts for which funding will end during the next financial year.
§ Mr. David HuntThe new local government finance arrangements will have no effect either on posts currently funded by urban programme revenue grant or on the freedom of local authorities to choose to continue funding those posts when grant aid expires.
§ Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the increase in the commercial rate for Bournemouth between 1979 and 1989 in real terms.
§ Mr. ChopeThe increase in the commercial rate for Bournemouth between 1979 and 1989, in real terms, was 9.4 per cent.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to bring forward legislation to ensure that private landlords reduce rate-inclusive rents by an appropriate amount with the introduction of the poll tax on 1 April.
§ Mr. ChopeI refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 8 February (Offical Report, Vol. 166 column 756).
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his best estimates of the amount that private landlords will gain when tenants pay rate-inclusive rents with the introduction of the poll tax on 1 April; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeI have made no such estimate. Most tenants paying rates-inclusive rents can ensure that they do not continue to pay the rates element after 1 April.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the position of YTS trainees with special training needs endorsements and their liability for the poll tax.
§ Mr. David HuntThe position of YTS trainees with special needs endorsements is similar to that of other YTS trainees. They receive the same allowances and may in addition be paid wages by the employer with whom they are placed. Virtually all non-employed trainees, and a proportion of employed trainees, would be entitled to community charge benefit where their income is low.
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reproduce in theOfficial Report the mathematical calculation of the assumed personal community charge of £227.69 per head in Tonbridge and Mailing for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme.
§ Mr. David HuntThe assumed personal community charge of £227.69 in Tonbridge and Malling for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme was calculated in accordance with the formula in paragraph 2.2 of the Community Charge Transitional Relief Report (England). The relevant figures are:
392W
£ Assumed spending including assumed county precept less business rate income and revenue support grant A (before adjustments) 17,437,972 Less B Safety net adjustment -74,871 Less C Low rateable value area grant 0 Less D Inner London education grant 0 Equals Assumed revenue to raise 17,512,843 Divided by Relevant population 76,916 Equals Assumed charge 227.69
§ Sir John StanleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state for each charging authority in Kent the percentage amount by which its assumed personal community charge for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme is less than the average assumed community charge of £278 per head.
§ Mr. David HuntThe table shows the percentage amount by which the assumed personal community charge for each charging authority in Kent for the purpose of the transitional relief scheme is less than the community charge for standard spending of £278:
Amount by which assumed personal community charge is less than CCSS Per cent. Ashford 19.7 Canterbury 20.2 Dartford 15.7 Dover 28.4 Gillingham 26.9 Gravesham 21.5 Maidstone 24.2 Rochester upon Medway 34.4 Sevenoaks 16.6 Shepway 6.7 Swale 23.6 Thanet 17.4 Tonbridge and Mailing 18.1 Tunbridge Wells 18.6
§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each London borough(a) the amount levied per head of its adult population for the precept of the Metropolitan police; (b) the relevant borough community charge; and (b) as a percentage of (a).