22 April 2005
Scottish council leaders have called for the retention of council tax but with a number of refinements to the system.
These include an immediate revaluation of domestic properties in Scotland, with the introduction of a fixed statutory cycle of future revaluations.
Delegates at the annual conference of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in St Andrews last week approved the proposals in a submission to the independent committee of inquiry headed by former Bank of Scotland chair Sir Peter Burt. The committee was set up by First Minister Jack McConnell.
Cosla suggests that to create a more equitable system, extra council tax bandings should be added at both the upper and lower levels. It also wants a review of the council tax benefits system.According to Cosla, council tax should be retained because it is easily understood, is fair, avoidance can be prevented and it is administratively efficient.
But Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrat members of the Labour-led organisation disagreed with the claimed advantages of council tax and argued in favour of replacing it with a local income tax. However, they were defeated by a majority of two to one.
PFapr2005
