§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria were used to determine the numbers unemployed in Newton le Willows in the formulation of the unemployment element in the rate support grant for St. Helens Metropolitan district council.
§ Mr. Shore,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 31st July 1978], gave the following information:
The proportion of the population living in the Newton le Willows employment office area who lived in the St. Helens metropolitan district was applied to the unemployed figure for the Newton le 475W Willows employment office and allocated to the St. Helens metropolitan district unemployment estimate. In the 1978–79 rate support grant distribution, the unemployment figures related to October 1977.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which metropolitan district authorities he regards as being disadvantaged by the criteria used in the selection of the current distribution factors in rate support grant.
§ Mr. Shore,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 31st July 1978], gave the following information:
The factors in the distribution formula are selected by objective methods which apply to all authorities. It is not possible therefore to say which authorities are disadvantaged.