Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Rate Rebates – 16 December 1985

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Rate Rebates on 16th December 1985.

Mr. John Fraser Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) to how many of the local authorities which failed to set a rate by 1 April 1985 his Department delayed payment of its contribution to rate rebates;

(2) if he will list the local authorities that continued to pay rate rebates after 1 April 1985 but before they had set a rate.

Mr. Major Payments on account of rate rebate subsidy were not made to ten authorities who did not set a rate on time since rate rebates are properly payable under the statutory housing benefits scheme only when a rate has been set. The hon. Member might like to consult the authorities concerned for information about rate rebates they paid before setting a rate.