§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he is satisfied that the powers of selectivity in relation to block grant, provided under the Local Government Act 1980, will enable counties like Essex to receive an amount which takes note of past reductions in expenditure;
(2) if he is satisfied that the formula for settling block grant now permits him to take account of those authorities which have reacted positively to earlier requests to reduce expenditure.
§ Mr. KingThe Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 requires the Secretary of State to determine the main components of the grant distribution according to general principles applicable to all authorities. Within this framework block grant will provide a fair and consistent incentive to authorities which economise and which keep their expenditure within reasonable limits.