Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Watts Excerpts

Monday 12th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

My hon. Friend is rightly proud of his council. The website is exemplary, as is the information available to tenants. We are committed to ensuring that people have a clear understanding of right to buy, which offers discounts of up to £75,000. I hope the Local Government Association takes note of that excellent piece of work.

[Mr Dave Watts (St Helens North) (Lab)]

5. When he expects to announce the allocation of the transitional council tax grant to local authorities.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

11. When he expects to announce the allocation of the transitional council tax grant to local authorities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Brandon Lewis)]

The Government published on 18 October the grant allocations that local authorities will be able to claim if they comply with the terms of the transitional scheme. These are available on the departmental website. The deadline for claiming the grant is 15 February, and payments will be made by the end of March 2013.

[Mr Watts]

I thank the Minister for his response, but is he aware that my council, St Helens, will have to make £48 million of cuts over the next three years? The only way it can access the transitional funding and keep council tax down is by cutting services to the most vulnerable members of our community.

[Brandon Lewis]

I would be very disappointed if the hon. Gentleman’s council was affecting the most vulnerable in the community, as this Government have put in place protections for them, and the guidelines are clear about that. Those who are among the most vulnerable suffered from the doubling of council tax under the previous Government and saw the benefits bill more than double. It is important that councils protect the vulnerable, which is why this Government have put the new scheme in place, with the opportunity and the money from the transitional grant, to help them do just that.