§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will estimate the approximate expenditure per head for each of the local authority functions or responsibilities that is consistent with a standard level of service that arises from the average community charge to be paid by each community charge payer.
§ Mr. LangThe calculation of the average community charge for any year will be a simple arithmetical exercise, and the resultant figure has no particular significance in relation to standards of service. The level of provision per head for each of the major local authority services in 1988–89 is as follows:
Average (£) per head Education 339.66 Social Work Services 76.67 Law, Order and Protective Services 86.38 Roads and Transport 61.77 Water, Sewerage and Environmental Services 48.04 Planning Services 6.01 Recreation 28.66 Miscellaneous 30.26 Central Administration 26.27 Notes:
1. Registrar General's estimates of population as at 30 June 1987 have been used.
2. In 1988–89 there is also a margin of £40 million (£7.82 per head) which has not been allocated to individual services.
579W
§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will describe the performance criteria for each of the major local authority functions or responsibilities that allowed him to arrive at a standard level of service that arises from the average community charge to be paid by each community charge payer.
§ Mr. LangThe calculation of the average community charge for any year will be a simple arithmetical exercise, and the resultant figure has no particular significance in relation to standards of service. I intend however to distribute revenue support grant in such a way as to equalise for differences in expenditure need so that if two councils with the same responsibilities both spend at assessed need, they will have the same community charge. The process of needs assessment is a complex one which is kept under continual review, in full consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
§ Mr. SalmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if prisoners on remand who are subsequently convicted and who have their convictions backdated to the start of their period of remand, will have the full amount of the poll tax paid by them while on remand reimbursed by local authorities.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 14 July 1988]: Provisions inserted into the Loal Government finance Bill at Report Stage in the House of Lords will amend the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc (Scotland) Act 1987 to provide that remand prisoners, as well as convicted prisoners, will be exempt from liability to pay the personal community charge.