HC Deb 16 February 1995 vol 254 cc803-5W
Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the amount of government support to county councils in England in the local government financial settlements for 1992–93, 1993–94 and 1994–95 compared with the rate of inflation in each year.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Under the local government finance system in operation prior to 1 April 1993 both revenue support grant and non-domestic rates for an area were paid into the collection funds administered by the charging authorities in that area. It is therefore not possible to provide a figure for the amount of RSG and NDR for county councils for 1992–93.

The total of RSG and NDR entitlements for county councils in England was £13,287.431 million in 1993–94 rising to £13,641.681 million in 1994–95, an increase of 2.7 per cent.

The GDP deflator is a general measure of domestically-generated inflation in the economy. In 1994–95 it is estimated to be 2 per cent. higher than in 1993–94.

Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what increase took place in the amount of government grant offered to Surrey in the local government financial settlement for 1995–96 as a result of representations received during the consultation period, and for what specific reasons the increase was made.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Surrey county council, in common with a number of other local authorities, made representations that the number of pupils involved in the calculations in the consultation paper was inaccurate. In each case we have incorporated the new figures where they were notified prior to the settlement being laid before the House.

The effect on Surrey was to increase the revenue support grant by £2.934 million.

Mr. Tipping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 3 February,Official Report, columns 910–11, if he will set out by council the value of the bid for redundancy and new building costs.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: The bids for redundancy and staff compensation and for accommodation costs, which may include new building costs, are as follows:

Redundancy and compensation costs £000s Accommodation £000s
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Council 500 960
Avon
Avon County Council 2,625 *Nil
Bath City Council 1,020 *Nil
Bristol City Council 2,000 125
Northavon District Council 461 *Nil
Kingswood Borough Council 430 *Nil
Wansdyke District Council 632 *Nil
Woodspring District Council 275 1,162
Redundancy and compensation costs £000s Accommodation £000s
Cleveland
Cleveland County Council 2,140 *Nil
Hartlepool Borough Council 294 931
Langbaurgh on Tees Borough Council 628 8,936
Middlesbrough Borough Council 600 250
Stockton on Tees Borough Council 544 3,165
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire County Council 1,000 *Nil
Ryedale District Council 100 *Nil
Selby District Council 213 *Nil
City of York Council 330 *Nil
Humberside
Humberside County Council 8,960 *Nil
Beverley Borough Council 583 *Nil
Boothferry Borough Council 600 *Nil
Cleethorpes Borough Council 300 *Nil
East Yorkshire Borough Council 959 *Nil
Glanford Borough Council 500 *Nil
Great Grimsby Borough Council 762 *Nil
Holderness Borough Council 333 *Nil
Hull City Council Nil 600
Scunthorpe Borough Council 477 *Nil

Note:

A *Nil entry indicates an authority that is to be abolished and that is therefore ineligible under the transitional costs scheme to bid for accommodation costs.

Mr. Tipping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what bids he received from local authorities in the Isle of Wight, Avon, Cleveland, North Yorkshire and Humberside for supplementary credit approvals for 1995–96; and what allocation by service block had been made for each authority.

Mr. Robert B. Jones

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: The bids to which the hon. Member refers are set out in the answer I gave on 3 February, Official Report, columns 910–11. The allocations—which I shall announce very shortly—are not hypothecated to specific services.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the usable capital receipts as at 31 March 1994, for each local authority, and in total for England.

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 9 February 1995]: The total of usable capital receipts held by English local authorities at 31 March 1994 was £2.1 billion. The information for each local authority has been placed in the Library of the House. It is open to authorities to spend these receipts or to use them to repay debt. The gross debt of English authorities at 31 March 1994 was £38 billion.

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