HC Deb 13 September 2004 vol 424 cc1435-6W
Bob Russell

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether local authorities are required to obtain the best value for land and buildings of which they dispose. [187988]

Keith Hill

Local authorities have discretionary powers to dispose of land in any manner they wish under sections 123 and 127 of the Local Government Act 1972. Under these provisions, disposals must be for the best consideration reasonably obtainable, unless the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister gives his consent to the disposal. The 2003 General Disposal Consent which was issued in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Circular 06/2003 on 4 August 2003, allows authorities, in certain circumstances, to dispose of land at less than market value without having to seek the Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's specific consent. Where authorities wish to dispose of open space land that is used for public recreation, they must first advertise their intentions in a local newspaper to comply with the statutory requirements of the 1972 Act and consider any objections they receive.

Brian Cotter

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average Standard Spending Assessment/formula spending share funding per head has been for all services in(a) England and (b) North Somerset in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the sums that would be available for services in North Somerset if the average SSA/FSS funding per head were the same as the English average. [188658]

Mr. Raynsford

Tabled as follows are the total Standard Spending Assessment/Formula Spending Share (SSA/FSS) per head for both England and North Somerset for each year since 1997, as requested.

£ per head
England North Somerset
1997–98 829.45 660.18
1998–99 869.19 688.86
1999–2000 907.66 713.57
2000–01 943.33 736.84
2001–02 980.69 767.95
2002–03 995.30 779.11
2003–04 1,177.45 953.27
2004–05 1,222.22 954.08

The England figure covers all services, including police and fire services.

Police services in the North Somerset area are provided by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary; and fire services are provided by the Avon Fire and Rescue Service. The Police Service is funded directly via Formula Grant throughout the period covered in the table. The Fire Service was also funded directly via Formula Grant in:2004–05; previously the Avon Fire and Rescue Service levied for this service on North Somerset council. North Somerset's FSS data reflect these arrangements i.e. the FSS does not cover police services nor does it cover fire services in 2004–05.

Both Standard Spending Assessments and Formula Spending Shares art, neither the amount an authority has spent on a particular service nor are they the Government's assessment of how much money should be spent on a particular service by an authority. Additionally they are not grant. They are simply formulae used in the calculation of Revenue Support Grant.

It is not therefore possible to calculate the amount of Formula Grant that would have been provided to North Somerset if it had received the England average FSS per head.