§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list those Welsh local authorities whose provisional expenditure targets for 1985–86 have been increased by five per cent. or more, by 10 per cent. or more, by 15 per cent. or more and by 20 per cent. or more, showing for each authority the percentage overspend or underspend on target and on grant-related expenditure bugeted in 1984–85;
(2) if he will list the Welsh authorities with the smallest increase or largest decrease in their expenditure target between, (a) 1984–85 and 1985–86 and (b) 1982–83 and 1983–84.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsExpenditure targets for the years 1982–83 to 1984–85, and provisional targets for 1985–86, were, following consultations with the Welsh local authority associations, largely determined by reference to previous year's spending and not the previous year's targets. In addition, adjustments for changes in the level of the national insurance surcharge on local government employees and the increased role of the Manpower Services Commission in funding parts of the further education service are only reflected in the appropriate year. Thus, it is not possible to make meaningful comparisons between targets for successive years. The largest decrease in target between 1982–83 and 1983–84 was £178,000 for Taff Ely borough council. The largest decrease from the 1984–85 target to the 1985–86 provinsional target was £982,000 for Torfaen borough council. The additional information requested for those authorities whose provisional expenditure target for 1985–86 was 5 per cent. or more greater than their 1984–85 target is set out in the following table:—
5W
Percentage increase 1984–85 to 1985–86 target Percentage difference between expenditure and: Target G.R.E. Gwynedd 5.2 +1.6 -1.4 Midglamorgan 5.3 +3.7 +5.8 Powys 5.6 +2.0 +2.8 Clwyd 6.9 +2.4 +1.8 Ynys Mon 5.2 +3.3 -0.1 Radnor 5.5 -0.1 -3.8 Dwyfor 5.6 +1.7 +8.8 Islwyn 5.8 0.0 -7.9 Rhondda 5.9 0.0 +12.7 Montgomery 6.0 -0.1 -9.7
Percentage increase 1984–85 to 1985–86 target Percentage difference between expenditure and: Target G.R.E. Alyn and Deeside 6.7 0.0 -12.1 South Pembroke 7.2 0.0 -8.6 Carmarthen 7.8 0.0 -11.2 Monmouth 8.2 0.0 -4.1 Wrexham Maelor 9.3 +7.2 -7.0 Ceredigion 10.7 -0.1 -12.0 Llanelli 10.9 0.0 +1.7 Swansea 12.6 +4.2 +7.8 Newport 13.7 +10.1 +9.7 Blaenau Gwent 14.2 0.0 +8.6