Oral Answers to Questions

Steve Reed Excerpts
Monday 8th February 2016

(8 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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My hon. Friend knows that we are moving to a world in which councils will be funded by council tax and business rates. It is essential that the formula underpinning that is fair to all types of authority. That has been very clear in representations that he and others have made.

Steve Reed Portrait Mr Steve Reed (Croydon North) (Lab)
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The Tory election manifesto promised to keep council tax low, so will the Secretary of State explain to the House why he has just written to town halls up and down the country saying that he expects them to force council tax up by more than 20% over the next four years?

Greg Clark Portrait Greg Clark
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I have written no such letter. I remind the hon. Gentleman that council tax doubled under the previous Government. On all the forecasts that we have made, it will be lower in real terms than it was at the beginning of the last Parliament.