Balance of Funding Review (Hansard, 29 March 2004)

§ Huw Irranca-Davies
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made as part of the current Balance of Funding Review of the conclusions of the Layfield Committee's report in 1974 concerning a combination of property tax and income tax. [164544]

§ Phil Hope
The remit of the Balance of Funding Review is to review all aspects of the balance of funding, review the evidence, and look at reform options. Evidence presented by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy to the Review Steering Group on 4 March has looked at many of the practical details of a possible local income tax, including some of the effects of combining it with council tax.

§ Huw Irranca-Davies
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures have been taken to ensure that the Balance of Funding Review in England and the concurrent review commissioned in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government co-operate effectively where appropriate. [164545]

§ Phil Hope
An observer for the Welsh Assembly Government sits at meetings of the Balance of Funding Review in England. The two reviews are sharing material where appropriate.

§ Huw Irranca-Davies
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made in the Balance of Funding Review of a local income tax on individuals differentiated by income and property value. [164546]

§ Phil Hope
The Balance of Funding Review Steering Group has heard evidence on the pros and cons of a number of options for reform raised in its public consultation. It heard from the New Policy Institute on 15 January on possible reforms to council tax, and from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on 4 March on the introduction of a local income tax.