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Local Government Finance

Does the hon. Lady share my concern that while she is focusing on council tax—I agree that nobody wants to pay more tax than they have to—there is a risk that we are missing the impact of charges? My local authority, Westminster, is in the process of raising an additional £7 million from parking charges alone, and it is putting up meals on wheels charges by 10 per cent. and introducing a new charge of £20 for the disposal of bulky items, which leads directly to fly-tipping. Of course, those costs fall directly on people to whom no rebate is available, with all kinds of unintended consequences for their purses.