Question reference: S6W-16607
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 11 April 2023
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 May 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken in partnership with public bodies to develop a shared debt management strategy.
Answer
Scottish Ministers have consistently encouraged public bodies to share good practice on debt assistance and collection and to show empathy and dignity when working with people struggling with debt.
Specifically in relation to Council tax, whilst this is a local tax and each council is financially and administratively accountable to their electorate, we recognise the desirability of the best practice in council tax collection being adopted by all local authorities. Ministers raised the issue of Council Tax Debt and Recovery, including highlighting the recommendations of the Improvement Service and Stepchange Scotland’s May 2022 report on Collaborative Council Tax Collection, with the COSLA President, Vice President and Resources Spokesperson at a recent meeting of the ‘Joint Working Group on Sourcing of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform’.