Commentary on Sections Schedule 7: Minor and Consequential amendments Section 86: Repeal of section 31 of the Local Government Act 1999
206.Section 31 of the Local Government Act 1999 was needed to help implement the council tax benefit subsidy limitation scheme which required authorities to contribute to the costs of council tax benefit where their council tax exceeded a threshold set by the Government. Section 31 allowed regulations to be made requiring payments by major precepting authorities (county councils, police authorities, the Greater London Authority, metropolitan county fire and civil defence authorities) whose council tax exceeded the thresholds, to billing authorities (in England, district councils, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, county councils with the functions of district councils, and in Wales, the county and county borough councils). Billing authorities are responsible for administering council tax benefit.
207.With effect from 1 April 2002, the scheme was no longer operated in England. The NAW had ceased to operate the scheme earlier in Wales.
208.Section 31 is redundant and this section repeals it.