§ Mr. Loydenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he can now give local authorities the further guidance promised in Department of Environment Circular 60/74 about levels of expenditure likely to be available for local authority transport in 1975–76.
§ Mr. MulleyI shall decide later in the year the total amount of local authority expenditure in 1975–76 that can be accepted for transport supplementary grant, in the light of the submissions made to me and in the context of wider Government decisions about public expenditure and rate support. The only prudent176W assumption now is that there will continue to be severe limitations on public expenditure, and many competing priorities. Even if it were possible to support as much overall expenditure on local transport purposes in 1975–76 as in 1974–75, differences in relative priorities would mean that some counties would have to make do with less. I must, therefore, look to local authorities to consider what would be minimum levels of expenditure. My Department's regional offices will be ready to help local authorities to consider the implications for their grant submissions.