§ Mr. LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to support the cost of local authority children's services in(a) Manchester and (b) the UK. [25778]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 11 January 2002]: Local authorities use their personal social services standard spending assessment (PSS SSA) funding to support children's social services as well as certain grants made available by the Department specifically for these services.
Total Government funding for social services will be £11.2 billion in 2002–03, which is an increase of 6.5 per cent. Since 1996–97 total funding has increased by 20.7 per cent. in real terms which is an average of 3.2 per cent. a year.
Manchester's PSS SSA increased from £111 million in 2001–02 to £114 million in 2002–03. It will also receive substantial increases in grants for social services from the Department for 2002–03, in particular, its children's services grant will increase by 11 per cent. to over £8 million following a 27 per cent. increase in 2001–02.