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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Council tax study to be published | Council tax study to be published |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The long-awaited report of the independent committee set up to review local taxation in Scotland is due to be published. | |
| Sir Peter Burt's two-year long inquiry is reported to recommend replacing council tax with an annual charge based on about 1% of a property's value. | Sir Peter Burt's two-year long inquiry is reported to recommend replacing council tax with an annual charge based on about 1% of a property's value. |
| The formula was swiftly rejected by the first minister and the main parties. | The formula was swiftly rejected by the first minister and the main parties. |
| The Scottish National Party said the Burt review had turned out to be an "expensive waste of money". | The Scottish National Party said the Burt review had turned out to be an "expensive waste of money". |
| On Wednesday, a leak from the Burt report suggested householders could be asked to pay about 1% of the value of their home every year in tax. | On Wednesday, a leak from the Burt report suggested householders could be asked to pay about 1% of the value of their home every year in tax. |
| We will need to consider the independent review in detail once published, but if this is the main proposal, it will not be given the time of day A source close to the first minister | We will need to consider the independent review in detail once published, but if this is the main proposal, it will not be given the time of day A source close to the first minister |
| The proposals would result in an annual bill of £1,300 or more for the average Scottish house, which now costs more than £130,000. | The proposals would result in an annual bill of £1,300 or more for the average Scottish house, which now costs more than £130,000. |
| But before the report was to be published, the recommendation was ruled out by Mr McConnell, at a regular meeting of Labour ministers. | But before the report was to be published, the recommendation was ruled out by Mr McConnell, at a regular meeting of Labour ministers. |
| A source close to the First Minister said: "There is no way that Labour ministers would support a homes tax. | A source close to the First Minister said: "There is no way that Labour ministers would support a homes tax. |
| "We will need to consider the independent review in detail once published, but if this is the main proposal, it will not be given the time of day." | "We will need to consider the independent review in detail once published, but if this is the main proposal, it will not be given the time of day." |
| Labour ministers still favour a form of property tax but not along these lines and the party has long advocated reforms which would see additional bands added to the present council tax. | Labour ministers still favour a form of property tax but not along these lines and the party has long advocated reforms which would see additional bands added to the present council tax. |
| The proposal for a 1% home tax was also condemned as "absolutely ludicrous" by SNP finance spokesman John Swinney. | The proposal for a 1% home tax was also condemned as "absolutely ludicrous" by SNP finance spokesman John Swinney. |
| Fair system | Fair system |
| Mr Swinney said: "We now have the farcical situation where the first minister has established a two-year commission that has wasted taxpayers' money and reached a conclusion which the first minister has been forced to rubbish before it has even been published. | Mr Swinney said: "We now have the farcical situation where the first minister has established a two-year commission that has wasted taxpayers' money and reached a conclusion which the first minister has been forced to rubbish before it has even been published. |
| "It is clear that this has been a political fix to paper over the cracks between Labour and the Lib Dems and taxpayers' of Scotland have had to pick up the tab. | "It is clear that this has been a political fix to paper over the cracks between Labour and the Lib Dems and taxpayers' of Scotland have had to pick up the tab. |
| "What we need is a fair system of taxation based on a person's ability to pay, not more reports which waste time and money." | "What we need is a fair system of taxation based on a person's ability to pay, not more reports which waste time and money." |
| The committee is headed by Sir Peter Burt, a former senior figure with the Bank of Scotland and executive deputy chairman of HBOS until his retirement in 2003. | The committee is headed by Sir Peter Burt, a former senior figure with the Bank of Scotland and executive deputy chairman of HBOS until his retirement in 2003. |