MPs to investigate council tax alternatives
A House of Commons committee has announced plans to launch an investigation into the ways in which councils raise money ahead of the government’s council tax review this summer.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) select committee wants to deliberate the issue of council tax in public, in contrast to the way the poll tax and the subsequent council tax system were introduced. The cross-party panel of MPs intends to examine possible solutions to the growing row over council tax.
The chairman of the ODPM select committee, Andrew Bennett, defended the decision to launch its inquiry, claiming it would give people another opportunity to debate how to improve local authority funding and ensure proper discussion before a new system is introduced. He urged the public to submit evidence to the committee’s inquiry.
The government launched its own balancing of funding review 13 months ago. Since then council funding has become a major political issue, fuelled by high council tax increases and last year’s education funding row.
The select committee is due to have a private briefing with local government minister Nick Raynsford next Monday and committee members are also expected to visit different areas to discuss how council tax is affecting people across Britain.
Mr Bennett told The Guardian: “If you are going to have a new form of taxation you need public consent, and that was one of the problems with the poll tax and one emerging with the council tax.”
The public has until March 26th to submit written evidence, which will be followed by oral testimonies from key witnesses to the committee.
The inquiry is due to report its recommendations in June.
