The Treasury Minister says he is ‘more than happy’ to work with local authorities to help them collect their rates.

It comes after questions from Douglas North MHK David Ashford in the House of Keys on Tuesday.

He asked how rates are collected and the provision for local authorities to have more ‘autonomy’ in collecting their own.

Minister Alex Allinson said that he wouldn’t be discussing the potential for ‘structural’ reform of the island’s authorities.

He says if local authorities want to ‘amalgamate’, that is up to them.

Dr Allinson explained the collection of rates is ‘incredibly important’ for financing local democracy and the services provided by people appointed and voted in by local authorities to represent them. 
‘I think the collection of rates should be effective should be timely,’ he said in the sitting.

‘The previous discussions regarded uncollected rates, which are a very small amount but can be significant for those smaller local authorities.

‘Treasury collects rates on behalf of those local authorities that request it and will continue to do so.

‘We also collect water rates and sewage rates on behalf of Manx Utilities, and so there are some economies of scale in terms of doing so.’

Dr Allinson added: ‘However, I think he’s absolutely right that if local authorities want to collect their own rates or want to amalgamate and might make various decisions, then that’s absolutely up to them.

‘What I wouldn’t like to see is that a discussion about rates would become a discussion about local authority structural reform through the back door because the two are separate but obviously interlinked in terms of finance.

‘As minister for Treasury, I’m not in the position to impose anything on local authorities, but I’m more than happy.

‘To work with them to make sure that rates are collected properly and also work with them in terms of the way that rates are raised and are used to fund local democracy and the services they provide to their community.’

Mr Ashford also wanted to know why the Treasury has launched a consultation on the collection of rates debts by coroners.

The minister explained it was important to clarify these facts, saying that Treasury intends to prepare a general public policy consultation document seeking views on the powers and procedures of coroners.

He added: ‘We will bring that forward and we will try to get that consultation done before the summer recess of Tynwald. No consultation has yet been launched.

‘We will be looking at the wider powers, procedures and functions of coroners.’