§ 77. Mr. Edeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if it is proposed to include the Government grant to police authorities towards police expenses in the proposed block grant towards local authority expenditure.
§ Mr. H. BrookeNo. This is one of the exceptions to which I referred in my statement of 12th February, where technical considerations appear to make it not possible or desirable to replace the specific grant by a general grant.
§ 78. Mr. Edeasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the total amount of Government grant paid to local government authorities, including police authorities, in the last complete year for which figures are available; and if he will give an estimate of the amount had his proposals for the reform of local government finance then been in operation.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe total of Government grants and reimbursements to local authorities in England and Wales for 1954–55 (the last year for which figures 45W have so far been published) was £.466.2 million. Details are given in the Local Government Statistics, published by the Stationery Office.
It is not possible to estimate what the amount would have been had the new proposals then been in operation. The effect of these proposals on the total of grants will depend on matters that have still to be discussed with the representatives of local authorities.
§ 79. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what public services operated by local authorities will be considered to fall outside the scope of the new grant formula.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe main specific grants which I had in mind in making my statement of 12th February, as being neither possible nor desirable to replace by the general grant are the housing subsidies, and the grants for highways and police and, in the education service, advanced technology, school meals and milk.