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<p>My Department has provided £3.3 billion to local authorities in respect of local
council tax support schemes in both 2013-14 and 2014-15 and the same amount will be
provided in 2015-16.</p><p> </p><p>For the first year of local council tax support
only, the Government set out an indicative amount of £40,450,000 attributable to parish
and town councils in England. Latest statistics show that 95 per cent of this indicative
amount was passed down in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398765/Revised_RO1314_Supplementary_Tables_-_Final.xlsx</a></p><p>
</p><p>As schemes are designed and implemented by billing authorities, it is not for
Government to calculate on an ongoing basis the appropriate level of funding parishes
required. However I have previously written to the small number of authorities which
in 2014-15 had no intention to pass on any of the funding to express concern. I also
wrote to all billing authorities on 19 February 2015 reminding them of the Government’s
clear expectation that they should pass down funding to eligible parishes in 2015-16
and have placed a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.</p><p> </p><p>Every
sector of local government should be doing their bit to keep council tax down for
hard-working people. Although the referendum principle does not apply to town and
parish councils in 2015-16, we continue to keep this option under active consideration.
The Government has given new rights for taxpayers to approve or veto excessive council
tax rises set by principal local authorities. If necessary, we are prepared to extend
this to town and parish councils in the future if there is evidence of unreasonable
hikes being imposed on taxpayers without their consent.</p>
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