Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:42 pm on 17 March 2021.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 1:42, 17 March 2021

(Translated)

Thank you. There was no mention of the freezing of council tax there. We've made our views clear on that. That's a temporary step, of course, and we need to think carefully about how to reform local taxation for the longer term. It's not a politically easy thing to do, but we are talking here about tackling major inequalities, and, even with mitigation steps in place, we know that, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the poorest 10 per cent in society pay some 8 per cent of their income in council tax, the next 50 per cent of the population pay around 5 per cent of their income, and the wealthiest 40 per cent only pay around 2 per cent. Now, the Minister's said that they've been having discussions on this. Well, you've been in power since 1999. How has Labour Government after Labour Government been so willing to allow these inequalities to continue?