HC Deb 05 December 1991 vol 200 cc194-5W
Mr. Anderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the total expenditure to date by central and local government agencies on administration and collection of the poll tax; and how this sum is broken down into its component parts.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

Administration and collection of the community charge is a local government responsibility. The available information on local authority expenditure is given in the table:

Local authority current expenditure on community charge preparation, collection and benefit administration1
1989–90 £ million 1990–912£ million 1991–923£ million
Community charge preparation 410.7 — —
Community charge collection — 22.1 24.5
Community charge benefit administration — 7.9 8.7
TOTAL 10.7 30.0 33.2
1 Expenditure on employees and running expenses, less sales, fees, charges, internal recharges and other non-grant income, but gross of specific government grants and certain interest receipts. Excludes net expenditure by local authorities on community charge benefit.
2 Provisional.
3 Local authority budgets.

Mr. Anderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cumulative amount and the amount for last year of poll tax arrears in Wales.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr.Jones) on 17 October 1991.