§ Ms. Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the income to be raised from the council tax in respect of(a) hospices and (b) other residential care homes, nationally and broken down by county authority area; and what representations he has received upon the council tax liability of (i) hospices and (ii) other residential care homes.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThere are about 16,000 residential care homes in England, and some 3,500 nursing homes, including hospices. My Department does not hold information on the bands to which each home will be allocated. Nor do we know the levels of discounts, reductions for disabilities and transitional relief to which each will be entitled. Furthermore, as local authorities will not be setting their council taxes until the spring, it is impossible to estimate the amount of tax which will be payable.
My Department has received a number of representations about the council tax from individual care and nursing homes, and from associations representing such homes.