Confusion over numbers eligible for household tax

Confusion continues to reign over exactly how many households are eligible for the controversial new tax.

Even the organisation responsible for collecting the levy, the Local Government Management Agency, has admitted it does not know the precise figure, while the environment department says it is working on an estimate of just over 1.6m properties.

The true figure is politically significant as it has a major impact on the percentage of householders refusing to register for the charge.