Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities of holding council tax referendums.

Further to the passage of the Localism Act, the Government published an impact assessment on the council tax referendums policy. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Notwithstanding, the costs will be significantly lower if a referendum is held at the same time as another election. Given a general election will be held in May 2015, the marginal cost to the public purse of holding a referendum next year alongside this would be minimal, other than the small costs of printing and counting the extra ballot papers.