§ Sir Irvine PatnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each metropolitan district council(a) the number of accommodation units in council ownership, (b) the total projected annual 256W income from these units, (c) the rent arrears for each of the last three years, (d) the total amount of council tax billed (e) the total amount of council tax arrears,(f) the total amount of community charge arrears and(g) the council's annual spend on managing its estates; what (i) guidance and (ii) incentives have been given to these authorities to reduce the levels of arrears; and if he will make a statement.[14912]
§ Mr. CurryI have today placed in the Library a table detailing the requested information on the latest relevant basis for each metropolitan district council in England.
The Government expect local authorities to pursue all arrears of rent, community charge and council tax that are collectable. It is in the interests of authorities to do so to restrict their level of borrowing and council tax bills overall. Authorities have a range of powers enabling them to enforce recovery of rent arrears, community charge and council tax arrears. They use these powers at their discretion and my Department has provided general guidance through practice notes and other advice. For example in October 1994 a research report "Rent Arrears in Local Authorities and Housing Associations" was issued by the Government to all local authorities; this contains good practice advice on preventing and managing rent arrears.
The Government have introduced a range of measures to encourage authorities to maximise revenue collection, for example the ring-fencing of housing revenue accounts, penalising poor performers in the distribution of housing investment programme allocations and requiring publication of arrears information under the citizen's charter performance indictor regime set up by the Audit Commission.