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6 Dec 2006 : Column 458W—continued

Council Tax

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what restrictions are in place for the sharing of information about houses obtained when assessing properties for council tax; whether there are plans to change these restrictions; and if she will make a statement. [103114]

Mr. Woolas: Information about individual dwellings is not shared with third parties except where authorised and in accordance with current statutory, confidentiality and data protection restrictions. No change in this position is planned.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Valuation Office Agency has to publish council tax valuation schemes on the internet. [103826]

Mr. Woolas: None.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether there is a council tax exemption for homes empty due to the death of the owner. [103834]

Mr. Woolas: Properties unoccupied since the death of the owner are exempt from council tax under class F of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order (SI 1992/613) (as amended) from the date of death of the owner until up to six months after the date of a grant of probate or letters of administration have been made.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have introduced local council tax discounts under the Local Government Act 2003; and what the (a) level and (b) nature of the discount was in the most recent year for which information is available. [103900]

Mr. Woolas: A table detailing which local authorities have introduced local council tax discounts under the Local Government Act 2003 along with the level and nature of the discount is shown. These data, the latest available, were collected on CTB Supplementary forms submitted by each local authority as at October 2005.


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Local council tax discounts introduced as a result of the Local Government Act 2003
Authority name Have used power prior to 1 October 2005 Plan to use power after 1 October 2005 Details provided by authority

Adur

Yes

Yes

There are eight accounts where the occupiers were previously granted disabled relief based on previous guidelines. When the Sandwell MBC case was determined and the results published we looked at the decisions previously made and determined to protect those cases where changing the decision would have had financial implications to the taxpayer through no fault of their own. In these cases we have agreed to an 15 per cent. reduction on the council tax bill as a local discount.

Ashford

Yes

Yes

Bridgnorth

Yes

Yes

The council determined that unoccupied furnished dwellings that are not connected to mains services would continue to receive 50 per cent. discount.

Brighton and Hove

Yes

Yes

Any unoccupied and substantially unfurnished domestic property, not otherwise exempt from council tax, which constitutes a self contained part of a building of which the whole is not domestic property and, by reason of its situation in relation to a part of the building that is not domestic property, is difficult to let separately will have liability to pay council tax reduced to 50 per cent.

Bromsgrove

Yes

No

Camden

No

Yes

A local exemption class may be created where the taxpayer is forced to leave their main home in Camden unoccupied due to serious damage caused by external environmental factors beyond their control and where statutory exemptions would not otherwise apply. For any local exemption class created, the exemption will cease after 12 months or upon reoccupation of the main home, whichever is sooner.

Canterbury

Yes

Yes

A decision was made to award a 50 per cent. discount to 123 beach chalets.

Carlisle

Yes

Yes

As a result of the flooding which Carlisle suffered in January 2005 it was decided that we would award a 25 per cent. discount to properties which had suffered some flood damage but the residents are still living in the property. The discount will cease when all the work is completed and the property is fully habitable again. There are currently 84 properties in receipt of this discount and the current cost to the authority for the year is £32,465.24.

Chiltern

Yes

Yes

The discount on Second Homes has been reduced from 50 per cent. to 10 per cent. with effect from 1 April 2005 and applies across the whole of the district.

Copeland

Yes

Yes

50 per cent. discount allowed on beach chalets where there is no mains water or electricity.

East Riding of Yorkshire UA

Yes

Yes

As 50 per cent. discount on a new property which is in the course of construction and for which a completion notice has been served, which has become part occupied, for a maximum period of 12 months or until the property is substantially completed, whichever is the sooner.

Exeter

Yes

Yes

We have given discounts to persons who were in receipt of disablement reduction on 31 March 2004 and whose entitlement would cease due to the High Court decision in the Sandwell case. The discount is equivalent to the property being assessed as if it were in the council tax band below the actual band, ie it is exactly equivalent to the disablement reduction they would otherwise have received.

Greenwich

Yes

No

Herefordshire UA

Yes

Yes

Applications in respect of properties affected by flooding—up to 100 per cent. Applications in respect of empty properties owned by registered social landlords—up to 50 per cent. Applications regarding empty properties owned by registered social landlords, used as guest accommodation in warden controlled complexes—up to 50 per cent. Applications in respect of unoccupied almshouses; unfurnished—up to 50 per cent.; furnished—up to 40 per cent. Applications in respect of properties that are no-one’s sole or main residence where access is restricted; unfurnished—up to 50 per cent.; furnished—up to 40 per cent.

Horsham

Yes

Yes

Locally defined discounts (applicable from 1 April 2004). Any property where a disabled resident has either a room, or part of a room (other than a bedroom) set aside to accommodate a disabled resident’s bed or other equipment which is of major importance to the disabled resident may be entitled to 15 per cent. discount. A property where a room houses braille or similar communications equipment for the use of a visually impaired resident may be entitled to 15 per cent. discount. Any property that is unoccupied following fire, flood or storm damage and requires remedial works to render it fit for re-habitation may be entitled to 100 per cent. exemption.

Kingston upon Hull UA

Yes

Yes

A reserve forces discount is offered to single occupiers. There is currently only one person claiming this discount.

Leicester UA

Yes

Yes

A 50 per cent. charge is levied on furnished but unoccupied property for the first six months of the property falling into this category. After six months, the discount is reduced to 10 per cent.

Malvern Hills

Yes

Yes

A 15 per cent. discount (in addition to the 10 per cent. statutory minimum) has been granted in respect of 45 furnished wooden chalets on a site which is subject to flooding and can only be occupied for 8 months of the year.

North Norfolk

Yes

Yes

Oswestry

Yes

Yes

Purbeck

Yes

Yes

Charge on furnished unoccupied dwelling reduced to 50 per cent. (from 90 per cent.) having regard to particular circumstances of the individual circumstances.

South Hams

Yes

Yes

The council has, to date, only used this power on one occasion—to grant relief to a second home which is adapted for and is visited by a disabled child. The council will use this power during the remainder of the year if an appropriate circumstance occurs.

South Lakeland

Yes

Yes

A 50 per cent. council tax discount is awarded to properties located in the vicinity of a beach which are used as beach huts or beach chalets which fall within Valuation Band A in the council tax valuation list and which do not fall within properties prescribed under Class A of the (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings)(England) Regulations 2003.

South Ribble

Yes

No

Waveney

Yes

Yes

Welwyn Hatfield

Yes

Yes

This applies to a local discount awarded on an empty property that has experienced problems with chalk mines.

Wigan

No

Yes

On an individual case basis only and considering each application on its own merit.

Wirral

Yes

Yes

Womens Refuge. Refuge + 2 Flats. 50 per cent. Disc

Wycombe

No

Yes

The authority will consider individual claims for relief on the grounds of hardship. This is not confined to strict financial hardship All relevant factors affecting the ability of the council tax payer to meet its liability for council tax should be taken into account.


Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) average percentage rise and I cash rise was in average band D outturn council tax bills from 2005-06 to 2006-07 in parished areas in England. [104062]

Mr. Woolas: It is not possible to provide information on the average band D council tax in parished areas because the necessary information—a breakdown of principal authorities’ council tax requirements between parished and non-parished areas—is not collected from local authorities and could not be reliably estimated from other sources.

Departmental Expenditure

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on (a) external room hire and (b) conference exhibition stands in the last year for which figures are available. [103896]

Angela E. Smith: The costs for external room hire incurred by the Department are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

In the last financial year (2005-06) the Department spent £303,000 on our corporate attendance at 60 external conferences and events covering core areas of the
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Department's policy remit. Events included the Local Government Association annual conference, the Social Housing exhibition, the national Fire Safety conference, the CIH Lettings and Homelessness conference, and the Young People Now annual conference.

Departmental Publications and Staff

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) if she will place in the Library a copy of each edition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s International Planning Newsletter; [104057]

(2) how many full-time equivalent staff work in her Department’s International Planning Division. [104055]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 October 2006, Official Report, column 1931W.

Developed Land: Definition

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes were made to the definition of previously-developed land in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001. [104059]

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 November 2006, Official Report, column 1576W.

Energy Performance Certificates

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what ways a home seller will be requested to update an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if material changes are made to a property after an original EPC is produced. [103885]

Yvette Cooper: The home information pack regulations will require that an energy performance certificate included in a home information pack is no older than three months when the property is first marketed for sale. There is no requirement to update an energy performance certificate if material changes are made to a property after an original energy performance certificate is produced. A home seller may elect to update the energy performance certificate of their own accord where material alterations have been carried out that make the building more attractive to prospective purchasers.


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