§ Mr. WhittingdaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of reserves of Essex county council; what proportion of total expenditure that figure represents; and what is the average proportion for shire counties. [26878]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe total level of reserves of Essex county council at 31 March 1995 was £120,127,000—of which £25,159,000 was local management of schools reserves—which was 12.4 per cent. of budgeted revenue expenditure for 1995–96. The same percentage for all shire counties at that date was 9.3 per cent.