§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to increase rate support grant for police authorities in the coming financial year.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsFollowing my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary's decision to increase the rate of police specific grant to 51 per cent., I have decided to increase block grant for Welsh authorities by £1 million for 1986–87. Aggregate Exchequer grant in Wales will then increase by about £2.5 million. This recognises the priority which the Government give to improving the policing of our country. All police authorities in Wales will gain grant, as shown in the following table, and no district authority will lose grant. Ratepayers throughout Wales will therefore benefit from the increase in grant.
Effects of increasing police specific grants £000 Authority Increase in specific grant Increase in block grant Total Clwyd 176 183 359 Dyfed 145 57 202 Gwent 211 203 414 Gwynedd 108 56 164 Mid Glamorgan 290 115 405 Powys 48 27 75 South Glamorgan 214 185 399 West Glamorgan 196 174 370 Note: The figures assume gross spending remains at the level assumed for the 1986–87 settlement, that is, that the increase in specific grant is accompanied by a reduction in expenditure for block grant purposes. Total block grant is assumed to rise by £1 million.