§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current outstanding loan debt of Scottish local authorities in relation to(a) housing and (b) general services; how much in each case and in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms this debt accounts for in relation to (1) rents and (2) council tax bills; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartThe available information is set out in the table.
483W
Per cent. £ million Housing revenue account Outstanding debt at 31 March 1993 — 3,823 Loan charges 1993–941 — 2500 Income from standard rents 1993–94 — 2926 Loan charges as percentage of standard rental income in 1993–94 54 — General fund services Outstanding debt at 31 March 1993 — 4,624 Loan charges 1993–943 — 4730 Budgeted income from council tax 1993–945 — 912 Loan charges as percentage of budgeted income from council tax in 1993–94 80 — 1Repayment of principal, interest on debt and loans fund expenses. 2Provisional outturns. 3Repayment of principal and interest on debt. 4Local authority budget estimates for 1993–94. 5Income which authorities budgeted to raise from the council tax for 1993–94.
§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the application of the annuality principle to local authority revenue budgets; what studies have been undertaken into the cost-effectiveness of fixed annual budgeting on the provision of services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StewartMy right hon. Friend has no evidence that annuality creates any difficulty for local authority revenue budgets and has no plans for such a review. However, to assist local authorities in their financial planning, he announced for the first time last December the plans he had made for both Government-supported expenditure and aggregate external finance for the two forward years of the 1993 public expenditure survey. My right hon. Friend plans to take similar action in future years.