§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what figures are available for the impact of the introduction of the council tax on pensioners, in particular in London.
§ Mr. BaldryIt is estimated that, after allowing for council tax benefit, about 65 per cent. of pensioner households are better off under the council tax in 1993–94 than they were under the community charge in 1992–93. The corresponding figure for London is 50 per cent. Figures for the other regions are shown in the table.
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Pensioner households: Percentage gaining from the council tax Region Percentage of pensioner households gaining North 75 Yorks and Humberside 70 North-West 70
Region Percentage of pensioner households gaining East Midlands 75 West Midlands 75 East Anglia 70 Greater London 50 Rest of South-East 55 South-West 60 England 65 Notes:
1. Figures estimated from the Family Expenditure Survey.
2. Figures include the effect of council tax benefit.
3. Figures are subject to sampling error and have been rounded to the nearest. 5 per cent.
4. A pensioner household is defined as a household including a man aged 65 + or a woman aged 60 +.