19(1)Section 10 of that Act (liability for and calculation of standard community charge) shall be amended as follows.S
(2)In subsection (3) after the word “factors” there shall be inserted the words “ (including factors relating to persons of prescribed descriptions) ”.
(3)In subsection (4) for the words from “and that liability” to the end there shall be substituted the words “ and where at any time two or more people are liable to pay the standard community charge under this subsection they shall be jointly and severally liable to pay the charge. ”
(4)For subsection (8) there shall be substituted the following subsections—
“(8)Subject to subsections (8B) and (9) below, the standard community charge shall not be payable in respect of relevant premises in respect of whichever is the shorter of—
(a)the period for which the premises are unoccupied and unfurnished;
(b)a period of three months or such longer period as the levying authority may determine;
and the levying authority may determine that different periods shall have effect for different premises or different classes of premises.
(8A)For the purposes of subsection (8) above “relevant premises” are premises to which this section applies, being premises—
(a)which are unoccupied and unfurnished; and
(b)as regards which notice is given to the levying authority by a person liable to pay the standard community charge in respect of the premises that they are unoccupied and unfurnished.
(8B)Subsection (8) above shall have effect in respect of any relevant premises only once during any period (whether it falls in one or more than one financial year) in respect of which the standard community charge is, or would but for that subsection be, payable in respect of the premises.
(8C)Before making a determination under paragraph (b) of subsection (8) above a levying authority which is a regional council shall consult the district council for the district in which the premises are situated.”
(5)In subsection (9) of that section for the words “that subsection” there shall be substituted the words “ subsection (8A) above ”.
(6)In paragraph (b) of subsection (10) after the word “charge” there shall be inserted the words “ which would, if the premises were for the whole of that financial year premises to which this section applies and were not, at any time in that year, relevant premises for the purposes of subsection (8) above, be ”.
(7)After the said subsection (10) there shall be inserted the following subsection—
“(10A)Where at any time premises are let, sub-let or permitted to be occupied as mentioned in subsection (10) above to more than one person, only one standard community charge contribution in respect of the standard community charge payable in respect of any financial year shall be recovered in respect of the period of such lease, sub-lease or permission to occupy and such persons shall be jointly and severally liable to pay the contribution.”