Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the press statements, parliamentary answers and other official documents in which the average household council tax has been used as a measure since April 1992.
§ Mr. Curry[holding answer 29 April 1994]: The average household council tax was published in "Local Government Financial Statistics No. 4" 1990–91 to 1993–94 and in two departmental press notices, the first dated 31 March 1993, the second 31 March 1994. In each instance, a corresponding headline council tax figure for band C, two adults was also shown. The average household council tax has also been given in answer to four parliamentary questions:
On 24 February 1993 to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) Official Report, columns 872–74;On 28 April 1993 to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) Official Report, column 941 and the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) Official Report, column 422;On 7 February 1994 to my noble Friend Lord Braine of Wheatley, Official Report, column 118.The Government believe that using the band C, two adults figure is the best way to compare council with council. But the average figure can be useful in comparing the council tax with the community charge, and in looking at year-on-year changes.