§ 15 Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of recent representations he has received on standard spending assessments. [25687]
§ Mr. CurryWe consider all representations received on SSAs. Proposals for change are examined with the local authority associations in the standard spending assessment sub-group of the settlement working group.
§ Mr. CurryThe hon. Gentleman clearly does not understand the system of local government finance. We direct the funds where the needs are greatest, which is why in London the single biggest recipient of Government support is Tower Hamlets, followed by councils such as Southwark, Lambeth and Islington. If we did not do that, that would indeed be wrong. The idea that there should be a pro rata rate across the country is both fundamentally wrong and extremely silly.