§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total amount of money which each district borough and city council is likely to get from the poll tax.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerDistrict councils in Wales are in the process of submitting information to the Welsh Office relating to their community charges and budgets. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with the information he requested when all the returns have been received and checked.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many community councils there are within each district borough and city council area in Wales; what will be the average poll tax charged for community council purposes for each community council; and how many community councils will be entitled to transitional support during the first year of the poll tax and up to what level in each instance.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe number of community councils within each district, borough or city council area is shown in the table:
618W
Districts Number of Community Councils Alyn and Deeside 13 Colwyn 16 Delyn 21 Glyndwr 35 Rhuddlan 8 Wrexham Maelor 29 Carmarthen 41 Ceredigion 51 Dinefwr 23 Llanelli 9 competitive tendering process; and how many were employed in supplying these services following the completion of the competitive tendering exercise.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI refer the hon. Gentleman to the following competition implementation timetable. In addition, local authorities, where relevant, were required to submit 20 per cent. of their ground maintenance service to competition by 1 January 1990. Competition-free allowances available to local authority direct labour organisations in respect of new construction and works of maintenance under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 were abolished from 1 October 1989. Information in respect of the numbers of employees in each service is not held centrally.
Districts Number of Community Councils Preseli Pembrokeshire 52 South Pembrokeshire 26 Blaenau Gwent 5 Islwyn — Monmouth 32 Newport 14 Tofaen 6 Aberconwy 18 Arfon 17 Dwyfor 17 Meirionnydd 29 Ynys Mon 40 Cynon Valley 3 Merthyr Tydfil 2 Ogwr 22 Rhondda — Rhymney Valley 14 Taff-Ely 10 Brecknock 36 Montgomeryshire 45 Radnorshire 27 Cardiff 5 Vale of Glamorgan 24 Lliw Valley 15 Neath 14 Port Talbot 1 Swansea 14 TOTAL WALES 735 Information about community council precepts for 1990–91 is not yet available.
Transitional relief is awarded in respect of community council areas, rather than community councils. A total of 619W 324 such areas will receive relief in 1990–91, in amounts up to £93 per chargepayer per annum. The amounts for each community area are set out in the Personal Community Charge (Relief) (Wales) Regulations 1990, which were laid before Parliament on 19 February 1990.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many extra part-time and full-time members of staff have been employed by his Department to implement the poll tax in Wales.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerNone.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by each district borough and city council in Wales to collect rates during 1989–90.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerBudgeted expenditure on rate collection by each district borough and city council in Wales during 1989–90, is shown in the table:
Local authority: 1989–90 Budget (At Outturn Prices) £000 Alyn and Deeside 123 Colwyn 169 Delyn 179 Glyndwr 173 Rhuddlan 186 Wrexham Maelor 395 Carmarthen 231 Ceredigion 228 Dinefwr 113 Llanelli 201 Preseli Pembrokeshire 174 South Pembrokeshire 136 Blaenau Gwent 219 Islwyn 175 Monmouth 193 Newport 413 Torfaen 245 Aberconwy 281 Arfon 247 Dwyfor 140 Meirionnydd 51 Ynys Mon 327 Cynon Valley 182 Merthyr Tydfil 319 Ogwr 196 Rhondda 320 Rhymney Valley 347 Taff Ely 671 Brecknock 144 Montgomeryshire 170 Radnor 92 Cardiff 1,384 Vale of Glamorgan 467 Port Talbot 196 Lliw Valley 173 Neath 237 Swansea 588 Total Wales 10,087