§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the detailed criteria used to determine (a) grant-related expenditure assessments, (b) targets and (c) rate limits, for the London borough of Islington for each of the past four years.
§ Mrs. RumboldI refer the hon. Member to the rate support grant reports and supplementary reports approved by the House for those years; and to the Department's annual publications "Grant-Related Expenditure, how the expenditure needs of local authorities are assessed for block grant" and "The Technical Handbook of Grant-Related Expenditure"—respectively the "Blue Book" and the "Green Book".
The criteria used to determine expenditure guidance (targets) are set out in annex E to the Rate Support Grant Report 1983–84 and in annex D to the Rate Support Grant Reports of 1984–85 and 1985–86 expenditure guidance was not issued for 1986–87.
Rate limitation first operated in 1985–86. Rate limits are determined in accordance with section 4 of the Rates Act 1984.
Copies of all these documents are in the Library.