To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he has given to local authorities in relation to the community charge where a member of the family is a hostage in Iraq or Kuwait.

The circumstances of British citizens held in the Gulf against their will can affect their liability to one of the community charges in a number of ways. To help local authorities reach consistent treatment my Department's advice is:

Those who are normally resident in Kuwait or Iraq and are not registered for a personal community charge will obviously, continue without liability.

Those who are normally resident in Britain but now detained in the Gulf should he removed from the register and have no liability for personal charge from the date of their detention if that detention lasts for more than six months.

Those whose sole or main residence in Britain becomes unoccupied for more than six months due to their detention should not become liable to a standard community charge.

Some of this advice was included in a circular issued by my Department to all charging authorities on 5 November. The circular also gave guidance on the treatment of armed forces serving abroad. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.