§ 36. Mr. EnrightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to secure an independent inquiry into the comparative fairness of the standard spending assessment from one region to another; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryStandard spending assessments are calculated on a consistent basis using the same formulae for each authority. We carried out a thorough review of the SSA system for 1994–95 in partnership with the local authority associations.
The Audit Commission published a study of the SSA system in May 1993. The Environment Select Committee published its own report on SSAs earlier this year. The Government will publish their response to the Select Committee's recommendations later this month.