Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the impact of the council tax equalisation process from the unitary restructuring on council tax bills in each local authority district in Surrey and (b) the creation of new (i) town and (ii) parish councils on the average council tax bill.

Where new councils inherit different levels of council tax from their predecessors, legislation provides for them to be harmonised no later than the start of the eighth year after the restructuring. Decisions on council tax levels will be taken by the new councils, but the Secretary of State is able to set referendum principles so that residents have the final say over increases above this threshold. The multi-year settlement set out that for the vast majority of councils the government has maintained a core referendum threshold of 3%, and a 2% adult social care precept, subject to annual consultation as part of the local government finance settlement and the approval of the House of Commons.

It is for the principal authority to consider the structure of community governance in their area including the creation of town and parish councils. Unlike principal authorities, the precepts set by parish councils have historically not been subject to referendum principles. However, any increase in council tax should be well-evidenced and justified.