Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Pickles and Maria Miller

Monday 10th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con)]

10. What assessment he has made of the effect on council tax payers of freezing the rates of council tax.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

Under Labour, council tax more than doubled. Under this Government, it has fallen by 11% in real terms. Our council tax freeze is saving the average band D householder in England up to £1,073 over the lifetime of this Parliament.

[Maria Miller]

Just like central Government, local government has had to take tough spending decisions. Does the Secretary of State agree that councils such as mine in Basingstoke, which have frozen council tax for five years, have protected front-line services such as the weekly bin collection and are now rated by their residents as providing even better value for money, have got those tough decisions right?

[Mr Pickles]

It is a pleasure to be associated with my right hon. Friend. I congratulate Basingstoke and Deane borough council on its excellent work. We must remember that we are doing all this to ensure that ordinary people on modest incomes are not forced to pay hundreds of pounds more for a mansion tax. That is why the Government will not introduce one. We want to reduce the cost of living, not increase it. That is why we are helping councils to freeze council tax.