§ Lord Merrivaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
What grant, in actual money, is being paid to inner London boroughs for new responsibilities being placed upon them by the Children Act 1989; and by the proposals based upon Sir Roy Griffiths' Report to the Secretary of State for Social Services, Community Care: Agenda for Action.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hooper): Central government support for the additional expenditure local authorities will incur under the Children Act, and the Government's community care proposals will be provided largely through the revenue support grant. We intend to implement both sets of changes in 1991/92. Funding decisions will be made in this year's Public Expenditure Survey. Revenue support grant is unhypothecated, and elements taken into account in determining its level are not separately identified.
We are currently consulting local authority associations on the detailed financial implications. We will take the additional expenditure needed into account in considering the appropriate expenditure level of RSG for 1991/92. In 1990/91 we will be making grant payments to local authorities for the training of staff in their new duties under the Children Act.
Local authorities have been asked to bid against indicative levels of grant based on the numbers of staff they employ. The indicative level of this grant for inner London boroughs is £262,175.