§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has had from the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association about the council tax; whether the proposed legislation for the tax will include a general power for local authorities to run local schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Miss WiddecombeI wrote to the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association on 7 October concerning the rebate arrangements for war widows and war disablement pensioners under the council tax. I explained that the new rebate system will treat war widows and war disablement pensioners in the same way as the existing community charge benefit system and that, in addition to the statutory disregards, local authorities will have the freedom, as now, to operate their own discretionary schemes to disregard war widow's pensions and war disablement pensions.