§ Mr. OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each notifiable authority in England the band D council tax for 1999–2000 and the change over that for 1998–99 in(a) cash and (b) percentage terms. [73928]
§ Ms ArmstrongThe information requested is not yet available. The tax setting legislation gives major precepting authorities until 1 March to set a budget and issue a precept on their billing authorities for the year ahead and other authorities until 11 March to set their budgets and council tax rates. In both instances, the authorities are required to inform the Secretary of State of their decisions within 7 days of taking them. As a result, my department intends to publish a Statistical Bulletin in the week beginning 22 March giving the council tax rates that have been set at each band for 1999–2000.