Local Government Finance (Hansard, 13 February 1991)

§ Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each category of those eligible for poll tax exemption in 1990–91 his estimates of(a) the number exempted and (b) the cost to central Government.

§ Mr. Portillo
The estimated numbers exempt from the personal community charge in England at 1 June 1990 are as follows:

Number

People whose sole or main residence is in a residential care home, nursing home, private hospital, or hostel providing care, who are receiving care 321,000

Patients whose main residence is an NITS hospital 42,000

Severely mentally handicapped 97,000

Residential care workers employed at a very low salary 1,500

Aged 18 and in receipt of child benefit, or aged 18 or 19 and in full-time education 179,000

Full time students whose term address is in Scotland or Northern Ireland 2,500

Members of religious communities 11,000

Residents of certain crown buildings (mainly military training colleges) for whom the crown makes contributions in aid to local authorities 4,000

Members of visiting forces, international headquarters and defence organisations and their dependents and diplomats 40,000

Contributors to the collective community charge 20,000

In detention (Source: Home Office) 45,000

Reliable information on persons without fixed abodes and living in short-stay hostels is not available.
There is no cost to Government as a result of these exemptions since these groups have never been liable to the community charge under the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Mr. Richard
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate how many non-domestic ratepayers in England will have faced rates increases in cash of 50 per cent. or more when comparing 1991–92 bills with those of 1989–90.

§ Mr. Portillo
I estimate that approximately 700,000 non-domestic properties in England will attract rate bills in 1991–92 which will be more than 50 per cent. higher in cash terms than in 1989–90. This estimate takes no account of any changes in rateable values as a result of appeals.

§ Mr. Richard Shepherd
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the increase in percentage terms in the average rate bill paid by(a) shops, (b) hotels and (c) all non-domestic properties between (i) 1989–90 and 1990–91 and (ii) 1990–91 and 1991–92.

§ Mr. Portillo
The average percentage increases in rate bills for shops and hotels in England are estimated to be:

1989–90 to 1990–91 1990–91 to 1991–92

Shops 13 15.3

Hotels 23.7 26.4

470W
For non-domestic properties as a whole, average bills will have risen broadly in line with increases in the retail prices index. These estimates do not take account of changes in rateable values as a result of appeals.

§ Mr. Richard Shepherd
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the increase in the average non-domestic rate poundage in England in each year from 1981–82 to 1991–92.

§ Mr. Portillo
The percentage increases in the average non-domestic rate poundage are shown in the table:

Per cent.

1981–82 20.7

1982–83 13.0

1983–84 6.5

1984–85 5.3

1985–86 7.2

1986–87 10.3

1987–88 5.3

1988–89 7.0

1989–90 7.8

1990–91 ¹7.6

1991–92 ¹109

¹ The figures given are the RPI figures for September 1989 and September 1990 used in setting the non-domestic rate multipliers for 1990–91 and 1991–92.

§ Mr. Oppenheim
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures for(a) rate support grant per head, (b) business rate income per head and (c) total aggregate external finance for each local authority in England.

§ Mr. Key
[holding answer 8 February 1991]: I have today arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

	Number
People whose sole or main residence is in a residential care home, nursing home, private hospital, or hostel providing care, who are receiving care	321,000
Patients whose main residence is an NITS hospital	42,000
Severely mentally handicapped	97,000
Residential care workers employed at a very low salary	1,500
Aged 18 and in receipt of child benefit, or aged 18 or 19 and in full-time education	179,000
Full time students whose term address is in Scotland or Northern Ireland	2,500
Members of religious communities	11,000
Residents of certain crown buildings (mainly military training colleges) for whom the crown makes contributions in aid to local authorities	4,000
Members of visiting forces, international headquarters and defence organisations and their dependents and diplomats	40,000
Contributors to the collective community charge	20,000
In detention (Source: Home Office)	45,000

	1989–90 to 1990–91	1990–91 to 1991–92
Shops	13	15.3
Hotels	23.7	26.4

	Per cent.
1981–82	20.7
1982–83	13.0
1983–84	6.5
1984–85	5.3
1985–86	7.2
1986–87	10.3
1987–88	5.3
1988–89	7.0
1989–90	7.8
1990–91	¹7.6
1991–92	¹109
¹ The figures given are the RPI figures for September 1989 and September 1990 used in setting the non-domestic rate multipliers for 1990–91 and 1991–92.