§ Mr. Rogersasked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of spending by (a) county councils and (b) district councils, has been met by rate support grant over the last 10 financial years.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsRate support grant is composed of block grant and domestic rate relief grant. Block grant is payable to individual authorities in support of their total expenditure. Domestic rate relief grant is payable to district councils, as rating authorities, in support of the total rate levied, which includes the appropriate county precept. A meaningful division of the total rate support grant is not, therefore, possible except as in the following table. Comparisons prior to the introduction of block grant in 1981–82 are not separately available for county and district councils.
Block grant as percentage total expenditure County councils District councils Domestic rate relief as percentage total expenditure 1981–82 61.2 60.7 4.2 1982–83* 64.4 62.3 2.0 1983–84 61.8 65.8 2.0 1984–85 60.4 60.5 1.9 * Domestic relief was reduced from 36p to 18½p in the £ in 1982–83.