HC Deb 20 November 1990 vol 181 cc62-3W
Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer to the honourable Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson),Official Report, 14 November, column 562, he will list for each authority in the west midlands the numbers of adults on the poll tax register and the percentage, at the latest available date, who (a) have begun paying the poll tax and (b) are now seriously in arrears.

Mr. Key

The available information obtained from returns to the Department is given in the table. No information is available on the numbers seriously in arrears.

Highest multiplier set Number of charging authorities
0 16
0.5 0
1 33
1.5 5
2 300
1— 12
1Not known.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish tables for each charging authority in England in receipt of safety net grant, classified by political control and the amount to be withdrawn, in(a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93, expressed both in £ million and £ per head;

(2) if he will publish tables for each charging authority in England presently contributing to the safety net, classified by political control and the amount they will gain in grants in 1991–92, expressed both in £ million and £ per head.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 19 November 1990]: The revenue support grant transition report (England) sets out the adjustments made to the revenue support grant in 1990–91 as a result of the safety net. As announced in October 1989, there will be no contributions in 1991–92 when the safety net is replaced by area protection grant financed by the Exchequer.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has proposed that, in each charging authority, area protection grant in 1991–92 should be no more than £25 per adult less than the combined 1990–91 benefit of the safety net and low rateable value areas grant.

I have today placed in the Library a table showing, in £ million and £ per adult, 1990–91 safety net adjustments plus low rateable value areas grant and 1991–92 proposed levels of area protection grant. The table also indicates the political control of the charging authority as at May 1990. Most areas are served by more than one local authority and the political control of other authorities may not be the same as that of the charging authority.

The table shows among other things that charge payers in Conservative authorities are contributing £354 million to the safety net this year; and that charge payers in Labour authorities will receive £409 million in 1991–92.

Under current proposals a further £25 per adult of 1991–92 area protection grant will be withdrawn in 1992–93—or the whole of the grant where this is less than £25. The amount withdrawn in £ millions will depend on the 1992–93 adult population.