§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require the London Rate Equalisation Scheme to be approved by Parliament by Affirmative Resolution.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions, formal or informal, have taken place between his Department and Members of Parliament representing the constituencies affected by the London Rate Equalisation Scheme about changes to the scheme in 1975–76.
§ Mr. John SilkinI presume my hon. Friend has in mind the scheme for 1976–77. On this, no discussions with hon. Members have taken place.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions, formal or informal, have taken place between his officials and the Inner London Education Authority about the London Rate Equalisation Scheme in 1975–76.
§ Mr. John SilkinI presume my hon. Friend has in mind the scheme which will apply for 1976–77. On this, there have been no such discussions.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions, formal or informal, have taken place between his officials and the Greater London Council about the London Rate Equalisation Scheme in 1975–76.
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§ Mr. John SilkinOfficials of the GLC have been present at several discussions between my Department and the London Boroughs Association concerning the equalisation scheme for 1976–77.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is his intention that the allocation of the needs element in the rate support grant for 1975–76 should be based on a formula calculated by including London in the regression analysis to match needs to expenditure.
§ Mr. John SilkinI presume my hon. Friend has in mind the distribution of rate support grant for 1976–77. My right hon. Friend is still discussing proposals with the local authority associations.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange that in future the London Rate Equalisation Scheme for each year is printed and published and presented to the House of Commons.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make the London Rate Equalisation Scheme for 1975–76.
§ Mr. John SilkinI presume my hon. Friend is thinking of the 1976–77 scheme. My right hon. Friend will make the scheme when discussions with the London Boroughs Association are concluded.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the rate equivalent in each of the outer London boroughs of the cash received from inner London boroughs under the London Rate Equalisation Scheme.
§ Mr. John SilkinUnder the equalisation scheme for 1975–76 the rate equivalents of boroughs' provisional receipts are as follows:
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p Barking 6.69 Barnet 2.46 Bexley 3.36 Brent 5.49 Bromley 3.36 Croydon 2.02 Ealing 2.77 Enfield 3.10 The figures show the additional rate which each borough would have needed to levy but for the operation of the equalisation scheme, allowing for the effect of the resources element of rate support grant.
P Haringey 6.72 Harrow 3.36 Havering 3.36 Hillingdon 1.08 Hounslow 1.16 Kingston-upon-Thames 2.14 Merton 3.36 Newham 6.72 Redbridge 3.36 Richmond-upon-Thames 3.19 Sutton 3.36 Waltham Forest 3.36
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much in cash terms was contributed by each of the London boroughs to the Rate Equalisation Scheme in 1974–75.
§ Mr. John SilkinI think my hon. Friend has 1975–76 in mind. Provisional figures of contributions for the year are approximately:
£ Camden 2,525,000 Greenwich 875,000 Hackney 840,000 Hammersmith 840,000 Islington 1,130,000 Kensington and Chelsea 1,687,500 Lambeth 1,355,000 Lewisham 1,026,750 Southwark 1,192,500 Tower Hamlets 950,000 Wandsworth 1,232,250 Westminster 7,500,000 City of London 5,750,000 The outer London boroughs are all net beneficiaries from the 1975–76 equalisation scheme.
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§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what indications, formal or informal, have been given by his officials in the course of negotiations with the London Boroughs Association as to the rate of contribution by Inner London boroughs to the London Rate Equalisation Scheme which would be likely to be acceptable to him for 1975–76.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy hon. Friend no doubt has the 1976–77 scheme in mind. No such indications have been given.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions have been held directly between his officials and London boroughs on the London Rate Equalisation Scheme for 1975–76.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy hon. Friend is no doubt referring to the 1976–77 scheme. There have been no direct discussions with London boroughs on this, but there have been consultations between officers and the London Boroughs Association, the Greater London Council and the Department.
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the addition to rate support grant needs element allocations to London boroughs—taken together—if London were included in the regression analysis used for calculating the need element formulae and no other changes made.
§ Mr. John SilkinMy right hon. Friend has made no such estimate.