§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the reduction in spending provided by local authorities on personal social services, expressed as a percentage of 1978–79 figures, between spending in 1979–80 and estimated spending in 1980–81.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe revised estimates for current expenditure on the 223W personal social services for 1979–80 and budget estimates for 1980–81 recently submitted by local authorities in England show increases at constant prices over 1978–79 of about 5 per cent. and 7 per cent. respectively. In the past, eventual outturn has been somewhat below both budget and revised estimates.
At the meeting of the consultative council on local government finance on 3 June 1980, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment said that he would be asking local authorities to revise their 1980–81 budget estimates for services as a whole downwards to bring 'them into line with the overall target set in the Government's expenditure plans—Cmnd. 7746 and Cmnd. 7841.