To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to require local authorities to apply a multiplier of zero to those public houses occupied by persons as tenants who are also registered to pay poll tax at a separate address.

Under the new standard charge classes which take effect from 1 April 1991, the multiplier may not exceed one times the personal community charge where unoccupied domestic property shares the same building as a business and as a result would be difficult to let separately. In addition we have now prescribed a new standard community charge class of property whereby the multiplier may not exceed one half if the person subject to that charge is also living in job-related accommodation. Charging authorities will have the discretion to apply either a standard charge multiplier of 0 or one half.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to establish the percentage of payments of community charge and uniform business rates which are still outstanding for each local authority for 1990–91.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 23 January 1991, Official Report, column 190.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his best estimate of the cost of administering his proposed community charge reduction scheme.

I hope to be in a position to publish an estimate following further discussions between my Department and the local authority associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his estimates of the numbers entitled to relief under the community charge reduction scheme using the tax/benefit model based upon the latest family expenditure survey data, breaking the numbers down by size of household and distinguishing between those receiving automatic relief and pensioners or disabled persons who qualify for special relief.

The figures requested are in the table. They are for England only and are based on the family expenditure surveys for 1987, 1988 and 1989. They incorporate a 10 per cent. per annum allowance for depletion of entitlement for charge payers who have moved or died.