§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons Government grant support for Brentwood Borough and Epping Forest District Councils is to decline in the next financial year. [63041]
§ Ms ArmstrongBrentwood Borough Council and Epping Forest District Councils will receive central support reduction grant for 1999–2000. This ensures that their income from redistributed non-domestic rates and central government support under various grants to be paid for 1999–2000 will not be less than the income from redistributed non-domestic rates and various grants payable to them for 1998–99.
Both local authorities will, however, face a reduction in revenue support grant (RSG) for 1999–2000.
308WThe main reason for the reduction is RSG for Brentwood Borough Council in 1999–2000 is the change to the method of calculating the element of the Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) for local authorities' own expenditure on Flood Defence. The calculation is to be based on outturn expenditure instead of budgeted expenditure. Brentwood's budgeted expenditure has been substantially greater than what it has actually spent on flood defence. Other reasons include the adjustment of Capital Financing national totals to allow for the effect of reserved receipts on financing costs and a decrease in the values of some of the indicators used in the calculation of the 'District services' element of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA.
The main reason for the reduction in RSG for Epping Forest District Council in 1999–2000 is the adjustment of Capital Financing national totals to allow for the effect of reserved receipts on financing costs. Other reasons include a decline in its assumed level of debt, and a decrease in the values of some of the indicators used in the calculation of the 'District services' element of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA.