Council tax bills

Average council tax bills are set to rise by 4.1 per cent from April, official figures have confirmed.

Statistics covering local taxes in England for 2005/06 revealed that a band D property occupied by two adults would be hit by a bill of £1,214 compared with £1,167 this year.

The average council tax per property will be £1,009 in 2005/06, compared with £967 in 2004/05, an increase of 4.3 per cent.

Government Response: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

Nick Raynsford, local government minister, said: "I am very encouraged by today's figures that signify the lowest council tax increases in over 10 years. This follows substantial investment by the government. We have provided an extra £3.5bn in 05/06 - 6.3 per cent more than in 04/05."