HC Deb 06 February 1998 vol 305 cc834-5W
Sir Paul Beresford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the 12 English local authorities, in each class, with(a) the greatest outstanding debt and (b) the greatest outstanding debt per head of population. [28251]

Mr. Raynsford

I have today placed the information in the Library of the House. It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those which have undertaken capital investment and that longer term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is regulated by Government through the issue of credit approvals.

Sir Paul Beresford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the 12 English local authorities, in each class, with the greatest(a) increase and (b) decrease in (i) actual and (ii) percentage terms in their standard spending assessment for the coming financial year due to the change in treatment of debt outstanding in 1990. [28250]

Mr. Raynsford

Tables showing the increase in 1998–99 SSA due to the change in the treatment of debt outstanding in 1990, for each class of local authority, sorted by(a) actual change and (b) the change in percentage terms, have been placed in the Library.