HC Deb 12 July 1978 vol 953 cc649-50W
50. Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made in discussions with the Association of Municipal Authorities concerning the structure of the needs element of the rate support grant.

Mr. Shore

Consultations with the local authority associations on the distribution of rate support grant in 1979–80 are still in progress and will be concluded later this month.

Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has taken place in discussions with local authorities on the structure of the rate support grant needs element; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Guy Barnett

Consultations with the local authority associations about the distribution of rate support grant in 1979–80 are still in progress. The terms of settlement will be announced in the autumn.

Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to adjust the weighting involved in calculating the needs element of the rate support grant so as to reduce the weights attached to one parent families and to increase the weights of other factors; and if he will introduce a factor into the weighting allowing for the rate of growth of population, particularly due to movement of population in or out of the local authority area.

Mr. Guy Barnett

The factor weightings in the RSG distribution formula are not arbitrarily selected but are determined by the statistical technique of mutiple regression analysis and vary according to the extent to which the factors explain differences between authorities in their per head expenditure. There are no adequate data on which to base a population growth factor. Nevertheless population data are updated annually and account for half the needs elements total.