PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Council Tax: Non-payment (16 April 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of legislative proposals to remove prison sentences for the non-payment of council tax in line with other forms civil debt sentencing.

Asked by:
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)

Every penny of council tax that is not collected means a higher council tax or worse services in an area. However, it is important that councils are sympathetic to those in genuine hardship and are proportionate in enforcement. The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations are clear that the magistrates courts can only consider sending people to prison where the failure to pay is due to wilful refusal or culpable neglect. The Department has no plans to change those provisions.

Answered by:
Rishi Sunak (Conservative)
19 April 2018