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Council tax lower in Wales than England
Official statistics have shown that council tax in England is on average £171 higher than that of Wales.
The figures indicated the average Band D council tax in Wales in 2017-18 is £1,420 and £1,591 for England. It also showed that the average rise in Band D council tax in England is four per cent, compared to 3.3 per cent in Wales.
Commenting on the figures, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government Mark Drakeford said: "Councils here are facing some real financial challenges but these latest figures show we are protecting local government from the worst of the cuts handed down by Westminster and, in doing so, protecting the taxpayer; a situation that has not been replicated on the other side of the border.
“In 2017-18, we are increasing funding for local government by £10 million compared to 2016-17. Under the funding floor we introduced in the Local Government Settlement, no council will have to manage on less than 99.5% of the cash provided to them last year, and most will have more.
“While our Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) is playing a key role in tackling poverty in Wales we’re currently looking at how we can make the system fairer for those who less able to contribute. We’ll make a further announcement on our plans during the course of this Assembly term.”
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