§ 15. Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from pensioners regarding the community charge.
§ Mr. David HuntI continue to receive representations on many issues concerning the community charge.
§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the actual grant given by Government to each of the county councils for the year 1989–90 and the proposed grant available to them arising from the standard spending assessment for the year 1990–91.
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§ Mr.David Hunt[holding answer 15 March 1990]: The information is as follows. Revenue support grant will not be paid to county councils in 1990–91.
Revenue grants1 1989–90 £ million Avon 135.1 Bedfordshire 51.0 Berkshire 45.6 Buckinghamshire 45.5 Cambridgeshire 85.2 Cheshire 129.8 Cleveland 145.2 Cornwall 117.1 Cumbria 117.0 Derbyshire 185.8 Devon 211.7 Dorset 85.8 Durham 163.1 East Sussex 75.8 Essex 130.4 Gloucestershire 90.5 Hampshire 202.0 Hereford and Worcester 113.5 Hertfordshire 40.9 Humberside 219.0 Isle of Wight 25.8 Kent 296.1 Lancashire 400.2 Leicestershire 180.0 Lincolnshire 135.9 Norfolk 129.6 Northamptonshire 103.1 Northumberland 57.6 North Yorkshire 142.1 Nottinghamshire 199.5 Oxfordshire 24.3 Shropshire 95.7 Somerset 93.5 Staffordshire 206.3 Suffolk 99.4 Surrey 42.2 Warwickshire 61.0 West Sussex 75.8 Wiltshire 103.3
§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the spending in 1989–90 and the budgeted spending for 1990–91 of each county council; and if he will list in arithmetical order the percentage increase of spending in 1990–91 over outturn spending figures for 1989–90 and indicating the political control of each council.
§ Mr. David Hunt[holding answer 19 March 1990]: The available information is as follows. I intend to place a summary of the information on 1990–91 budgets in the Library of the House when information has been received from all authorities.
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Net current expenditure 1989–90 £ million Political control Avon 485.5 No overall control Bedfordshire 271.5 No overall control Berkshire 339.3 Conservative Buckinghamshire 314.8 Conservative Cambridgeshire 310.7 No overall control Cheshire 489.0 No overall control Cleveland 344.1 Labour Cornwall 218.2 No overall control
Net current expenditure 1989–90 £ million Political control Cumbria 258.7 No overall control Derbyshire 503.3 Labour Devon 483.1 No overall control Dorset 280.2 Conservative Durham 313.5 Labour East Sussex 297.7 Conservative Essex 743.5 No overall control Gloucestershire 251.5 No overall control Hampshire 694.4 No overall control Hereford & Worcester 305.4 Conservative Hertfordshire 498.8 No overall control Humberside 478.6 No overall control Isle of Wight 57.4 SDLP Kent 689.0 Conservative Lancashire 738.8 No overall control Leicestershire 460.4 No overall control Lincolnshire 276.7 Conservative Norfolk 335.4 Conservative Northamptonshire 294.2 Conservative Northumberland 145.5 No overall control North Yorkshire 337.1 Conservative Nottinghamshire 540.3 Labour Oxfordshire 263.1 No overall control Shropshire 201.1 No overall control Somerset 232.3 No overall control Staffordshire 493.3 Labour Suffolk 280.0 Conservative Surrey 438.7 Conservative Warwickshire 241.8 No overall control West Sussex 292.9 Conservative Wiltshire 2720 No overall control
§ Mr. CouchmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures have been taken to provide for different levels of standard community charge to be applied according to the different circumstances of properties or individuals.
§ Mr. David HuntThe standard community charge applies where domestic property is not used as a sole or main residence. Charging authorities may levy the standard charge by applying one of a choice of five multipliers (either 0, ½, 1, 1½ or 2) to their personal community charge. However, different multipliers may be applied for certain prescribed or specified classes of property.
We have prescribed that no standard charge will be payable for the classes of property listed in table 1. We have also prescribed that for the classes of property listed in table two below the standard community charge multiplier may not exceed one. These provisions will ensure that in an important number of cases either total or partial relief is guaranteed. In particular, no charge is payable for up to three months on property which is unoccupied and unfurnished (for example because it is for sale): until three months after probate where a property is vacant because of the death of the owner; and for up to 12 months where a property is empty because the occupier has moved elsewhere either to care for another person or to be cared for by another person.
Charging authorities may also set different standard community charge multipliers for classes of property specified by reference to one or more of the factors listed in table three below. This for instance allows authorities the discretion to extend the periods of total relief applying to any class of property prescribed by the Secretary of State, and the discretion to take account of special 659W circumstances, for example where properties give rise to the standard charge because the owner is required to live elsewhere in tied accommodation as a condition of his or her employment. My Department has given advice to local authorities on the scope and exercise of the discretion.
I understand that many authorities have already made good use of these provisions. However, I am concerned that other authorities have not chosen to make reasonable use of the discretion available to them. We will be monitoring local authority practice closely in the first months of the next financial year and, if necessary, we will have to consider further prescription by the Secretary of State for 1991–92.
Table 1: Types of property for which the Government have specified a maximum standard charge of 0
Unoccupied and unfurnished property requiring structural repair work to render it habitable, including unoccupied property with respect to which less than 6 months have elapsed since the day on which the work was completed.Newly built unoccupied and unfurnished property or property which is being structurally altered, including property in respect of which less than 6 months have elapsed since the day on which the works were complete.Unoccupied and unfurnished property in respect of which less than 3 months have elapsed since the date it was last occupied.Property which has been empty for less than 12 months because the owner is living in a hospital or residential care home.Property which has become vacant on death and in respect of which either probate or letters of administration has been obtained or less than 3 months have elapsed since grant of probate or letters of administration.Property whose occupation is prohibited by law.Empty vicarages pending the arrival of the new incumbent.Properties which have been empty for less than 12 months because the owner has gone to be cared for in someone's home or the carer has left their own home empty to care for someone else.Table 2: Types of property for which the Government have prescribed a maximum multiplier of 1
Caravans (that is, mobile homes on protected sites).Property which may not be occupied throughout the year because of local planning conditions imposed on it.Table 3: Factors which charging authorities may take into account in specifying standard community charge classes
The use to which properties are put or intended to be put.Whether properties are occupied.The period for which properties have been unoccupied.The circumstances, other than financial circumstances, of persons subject to standard charges.The capacity in which persons are subject to standard charges.Whether properties fall within a class prescribed by the Secretary of State.The periods for which unoccupied properties have previously been occupied.The periods for which properties would have been unoccupied if all or some periods of occupation were treated as periods during which the properties were unoccupied.In the case of properties comprised in a deceased's estate, the period which has elapsed since a grant of probate or of letters of administration was made.