§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department provides to councils regarding budget allocations for allotments. [166055]
§ Keith HillIt is for each allotment authority to decide for itself how much of its resources to devote to allotments. Revenue Support Grant is an unhypothecated block grant and this means that authorities may use it for any purposes. In most cases, rent will be the only income from an allotment site and the level of these is a matter for the relevant allotment authority to determine, taking into account the cost of managing the site, local needs, any special circumstances and the requirements of the Allotments Act 1950.
The publications "Growing in the community: a good practice guide for the management of allotments", and "Allotments: a plot holders' guide", provide comprehensive advice and good practice, including that concerning rents, for local authorities and allotment plot holders and were distributed to a wide audience.