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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December (HL3988), what is the expected difference, in each county, between an increase of two per cent of the council tax levied by counties in two-tier areas, and the same increase in total if levied by both the counties and all the districts in each of those counties.

The flexibility is not being offered to districts, and so we have not calculated figures for a hypothetical difference. Councils, including non-metropolitan districts, can set any council tax increase they like. If the increase is above the threshold approved by the House of Commons, they must obtain the consent of their local electorate in a referendum.