HC Deb 24 March 1993 vol 221 c628W
33. Mr. Peter Atkinson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current debt burden of(a) the London borough of Harlow, (b) Newcastle upon Tyne metropolitan district, (c) Wellingborough district council and (d) Huntingdonshire; and what proportion of their respective budgets is attributable to interest payments on those debt burdens.

Mr. Robin Squire

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East on Tuesday 23 March 1993.

34. Mr. David Martin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the level of council debt.

Mr. Robin Squire

At 31 December 1992, the total outstanding debt of local authorities in England stood at £37.5 billion. We will continue to encourage authorities to reduce their outstanding debt using sums which they have set aside for this purpose.