§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will place in the Library a table showing the Band D council tax increase for each (i) billing authority and (ii) notifiable authority in England,(a) in cash terms and (b) in percentage terms, based on the assumption that all councils apply his 1998–99 capping principles and spend up to the limit that would imply; [62853]
(2) if he will place in the Library a table showing the Band D council tax increase for each (i) billing authority and (ii) notifiable authority in England, (1) without applying council tax benefit limitation and (2) showing the extra increase that would arise from council tax benefit limitation (a) in cash terms and (b) in percentage terms, based on the assumption that all councils apply his 1998–99 capping principles and spend up to the limit that would imply. [62854]
§ Ms Armstrong[holding answer 7 December 1998]: I have today placed in the Library of the House tables showing the information requested. The figures are entirely speculative. Councils will each take their own decision about their budget requirements for 1999–2000, in the light of the substantial increases in funding announced on 2 December 1998, Official Report, columns 883–86. Each will look at its own circumstances and consider very hard the need for any council tax increase at all. There is no reason for the capping principles used in 1998–99 to be part of a council's budgeting decisions. The figures for some councils are particularly distorted by an assumption that they would increase their spending up to SSA even where they have in the past consistently spent below that level.