Council Tax: Floods

Mr. Pickles
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 16 July 2008, Official Report, column 484W, on council tax: floods, which local authorities have exercised their powers to grant council tax discounts to owners of uninhabitable properties.

John Healey
Pursuant to my answer of 16 July 2008, Official Report, column 481W,on council tax: floods, I am aware that the following local authorities have exercised their power under Section 13 A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to grant discounts to owners of properties which were still uninhabitable due to the June and July 2007 floods after the 12-month exemption period, under Class A, has lapsed.

Bassetlaw District Council

Cheltenham Borough Council

Cotswold District Council

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Forest of Dean District Council

Gloucester City Council

Herefordshire Council

Kingston upon Hull City Council

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council

Malvern Hills District Council

Newark and Sherwood District Council

North Lincolnshire Council

North Wiltshire District Council

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Stratford-upon-Avon District Council

Swindon Borough Council

Tewkesbury Borough Council

Vale of White Horse District Council

City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

West Berkshire Council

West Oxfordshire District Council

Wokingham Borough Council

Wychavon District council

Wyre Forest District Council

Some other local authorities affected by the floods may have exercised their power to grant discretionary discounts; the Department does not have information about them.