§ 62. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware 39W that, although the expenditure of local authorities increased considerably during the past year, the block grant was reduced as a result of the methods adopted in calculating it, and that this system places an increasing burden on the ratepayers and operates to the disadvantage of local authorities; and if he will take steps to review the block grant system.
Dr. HillFar from being reduced, the aggregate of the general grants for 1961–62 was £25 million more than that for 1960–61. The aggregate for 1962–63 is £18 million more than that for 1961–62. The House will shortly be asked to approve orders increasing the aggregate for each year. I shall be consulting the local authority associations later this year about amounts and method of distributing the aggregates for the next grant period.