§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his timetable for his review of local government finance and structure.
§ Mr. PortilloMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is conducting a thorough and fundamental review of local government functions, structure and finance to identify a stable basis for the future development of local government. It is premature to say when it might be complete.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for 1990–91 for each local authority(a) the total amount of national non-domestic rate income to be collected, (b) his best estimate of the amount collected thus far and (c) the amount of national non-domestic rate income being made available to each authority in 1990–91.
§ Mr. PortilloI am arranging for copies of the information to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the personal community charge payable in 1991–92 by each couple eligible for the community charge reduction scheme where the personal charge for 1990–91 was £350, and that for 1991–92 was £390, and where the total domestic rates paid by the household in 1989–90 was(a) £225, (b) £325, (c) £375 and (d) £275.
266W
§ Mr. KeyIn general, assuming that the couple did not benefit from or contribute to the safety net in 1990–91, the amount payable by each partner in 1991–92 would be as follows:(a) £204.50, (b) £254.50, (c) £279.50 arid (d) £229.50.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to use a de minimis rule on the operation of community charge capping in 1991–92.
§ Mr. PortilloMy right hon. Friend will decide whether to adopt a de minimis proviso and the figure for any such proviso in making his designation decisions under section 100 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. As we have made clear local authorities should not assume that there will be such a proviso.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his final criteria for the purposes of community charge-capping designation in 1991–92.
§ Mr. PortilloMy right hon. Friend intends to take his designation decisions under section 100 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 as soon as reasonably practicable after authorities have set their budgets for 1991–92.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the qualifying date relating to residence in a property for eligibility for the community charge reduction scheme in 1991–92.
§ Mr. PortilloBroadly, as with the current transitional relief scheme, a person may be eligible if he or she was subject to a personal community charge by virtue of residence in the relevant property on 31 March 1990.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum number of assumed poll tax charges that will be used per household for the purposes of calculating help under the community charge reduction scheme in 1991–92.
§ Mr. PortilloAs with the current transitional relief scheme, two community charges will be used in the calculation of a reduction where there are two or more eligible charge payers in a property. However, special rules will apply to residents of sheltered housing schemes who will be able to qualify for a reduction in their own right.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumption of population mobility for 1990–91 and 1991–92 he used for the purposes of calculating the numbers of poll tax payers likely to qualify for help under his proposed community charge reduction scheme.
§ Mr. PortilloA depletion rate of 10 per cent. per annum has been assumed in arriving at the estimates for the community charge reduction scheme, to allow for cessation of entitlement for charge payers who have moved or have died.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a table of expenditure on the urban programme 1989–90 showing expenditure broken down into economic, environmental and social categories and cross-tabulated by standards, region, with Greater London shown as a separate region.
267W
§ Mr. Key[holding answer 22 January 1991]: Approved urban programme expenditure levels for 1989–90 for
Urban programme region (£ million) Economic Environmental Social Northern 21.006 5.656 9.695 Northwest1 21.452 5.577 9.010 Merseyside1 14.163 7.698 6.466 West Midlands 19.828 5.665 10.925 East Midlands 4.994 2.157 3.405 Yorkshire and Humberside 13.521 4.917 4.671 Southwest 0.998 0.499 0.689 London 24.416 13.270 11.147 1 These two urban programme regions form one standard Northwest region. All other urban programme and standard regions are identical.