1. In the financial years 21/22, 22/23 and 23/24 (Up to 07.02.24), could you please provide me with the total monetary value of council-related debts (such as council tax, parking fines, failures to pay business rates and housing arrears) which were referred to external enforcement agencies?

Council Tax
2021/22: £3,425,957.69
2022/23: £3,833,614.69
2023/24: £3,474,737.24

Business Rates
2021/22: £998,864.94
2022/23: £1,138,177.75
2023/24: £1,198,778.32

Housing Benefit Overpayments
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £164,210.09
2023/24: £26,775.63 (issued to Enforcement Agent in January 2024).

Former Tenant Arrears
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £0
2023/24: £59,478.16 (issued to Enforcement Agent in January 2024).

Sundry Debts
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £16,687.58
2023/24: £165,410.35

Above is the total of the debt issued to Enforcement Agents for collection. Note where one Enforcement Agent was instructed and was unsuccessful in enforcing payment and another Enforcement Agent was subsequently instructed, the same debt will be counted more than once in the above figures.

2. Of this figure, please could you provide the amount that was recovered by external debt agencies broken down for each of the financial years referenced?

Council Tax
2021/22: £619,260.37
2022/23: £573,354.58
2023/24: £333,093.52

Business Rates
2021/22: £306,077.47
2022/23: £252,035.71
2023/24: £151,559.01

Housing Benefit Overpayments
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £390.00
2023/24: £0

Former Tenant Arrears
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £0
2023/24: £0

Sundry Debts
2021/22: £0
2022/23: £366.79
2023/24: £4236.27

3. For each of those financial years, please provide the number of complaints the council has received about the conduct of external bailiffs and debt collectors.
2021/22: 4
2022/23: 7
2023/24: 6