(Luton North) (Lab): Before
the Chancellor’s statement, the Conservative leaders of Kent
County Council and Hampshire County
Council wrote to the Prime Minister warning of
their likely bankruptcy. Instead of hearing the concerns of local
leaders across the country, the Government passed on
responsibility to them by forcing councils to raise tax. Not only
is that another unfair burden on the British taxpayer, but local
government experts have estimated that the Tory plans to raise
council tax will bring in more than £80 per household in Surrey
but only £39 per household in Manchester and Hull. That sounds
dangerously like another Tory failure in the making on levelling
up. Does the Minister truly understand the financial emergency
facing councils today? If so, how can he justify local residents
and businesses having their council tax raised while the
Government allow non-doms to avoid paying between £1 billion and
£3 billion-worth of tax?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities (): The hon. Lady highlights a number of things
that she obviously wants to make a point about. The reality is
that billions and billions of additional taxpayer subsidy was
made available within the settlement last week. We will come
forward with further information in due course. Ultimately, the
Labour party’s position is fundamentally that there can be no
contribution from local taxpayers. That is a very interesting
place to be given that there ultimately has to be a link between
services and taxation. That is something that the Government
recognise while still providing billions in taxpayer subsidy from
the centre to improve lives and services in the long run.
