§ Mr. Hamlingasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what were the figures of loan indebtedness for local authorities in the area of the Greater London Council for the last available year compared with 1951; and what is the comparison between the cost of servicing such loans.
§ Mr. MellishThe last year for which information about the loan debt of local authorities is available is 1963–64. I regret that estimates of the debt of local authorities in Greater London cannot be provided, either for 1951 or for 1963–64, because the figures relating to the debt of the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Kent and Surrey are not apportionable in the absence of detailed information about the distribution of assets and the loan charges outstanding on them. Firm information about the debt of the London Boroughs and the Greater London Council as at 31st March, 1966, should become available by autumn, 1966.