§ Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance was given to councils to exempt from paying the community charge residents in residential care homes, nursing homes, mental nursing homes or hostels and sheltered dwellings.
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§ Mr. KeyParagraph 9 of schedule 1 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 provides that a person is an exempt individual on a particular day if at any time on the day he has his sole or main residence in a residential care home, nursing home, mental nursing home or hostel and is receiving care or treatment—or both—in the home or hostel. There is no exemption for residents of sheltered dwellings. A practice note prepared jointly between the Department of the Environment and the local authority associations convering the subject of exemptions was distributed to all local authorities in May 1989. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.