A call to identify when Pembrokeshire councillors learned the second homes council tax premium also applied to the police precept for Dyfed-Powys as a whole is to be heard tomorrow.

Second homes in Pembrokeshire are to pay a 150 per cent council tax premium from the next financial year, down from a previous 200 per cent premium, what was effectively a treble council tax rate, after a drop was recently backed.

In two related submitted questions to be heard at the December 12 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s full meeting, Sian Evans asks: “When Pembrokeshire councillors first agreed to impose a [second homes] premium on council tax in 2016, they voted to apply the premium (initially 50 per cent) to the basic council tax rate.

“However, council tax bills for second homeowners have always multiplied all three elements of the council tax bill: the basic council tax, the town/community council precept and the police precept.

“This year the police precept (Band E) was £400. With the premium this increased to £1,200. It should be remembered that the collection of the premium was intended to offset the negative effects of second homes in Pembrokeshire.

“Given that councillors were unaware of the need to multiply all three components of the council tax bill when they voted for the adoption of the council tax premium, when were councillors subsequently informed – in the intervening seven years – of this requirement?”

Her second question asks: “Precept collected from second homeowners in the name of Dyfed Powys Police is allocated widely across four counties. Those who should be able to, find it difficult to explain the calculation, allocation and application of the precept, or how the charging of extra precept that is spent in three other counties, can offset the negative effects of second homes in Pembrokeshire.

“Would the council make an undertaking to provide a simple yet thorough explanation of this extra police precept to the satisfaction of those who pay it, and those who agreed to it, in readiness for the new financial year?”

Last year, following a call by Cllr Mark Carter for an investigation of how the second homes premium tax rate for the police precept was used and spent, members heard the police part of the bill for ordinary taxpayers was lowered by a small amount as second-home-owners paid a premium.

A report for committee members at the time clarified that the additional revenue was not handed over to Dyfed-Powys Police.

It stated: “Whilst the introduction of the premiums does not increase the overall funding for Dyfed-Powys Police, it does change the proportion of their costs that Pembrokeshire is expected to fund.”

This meant – on last year’s rates – the police precept for a non-second-home average Band D property would increase from £290.16 to £296.12 without a second homes tax premium, committee members heard.

A response to Sian Evans’ questions is expected to be heard at the December 12 meeting.