§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount of payments in respect of the rate rebates element of housing benefit subsidy which were withheld from the Liverpool city council during the period 1 April to 14 June 1985 when that local authority delayed setting a rate; and what amount of interest accrued to his Department on the payments withheld.
§ Mr. Lyell[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1987,]: As a result of its delay in setting a rate, advance payments on account of rate rebate subsidy totalling £4,705,838 were not made to Liverpool city council during the period 1 April 1985 to 14 June 1985. It is not possible to give a figure for the amount of interest since the calculation would depend on hypothetical assumptions about how central Government's financing would have been carried out in other circumstances.