§ Mr. Marquandasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the increase in expenditure on 73W local environmental services between 1968–69 and 1973–74 forecast in the White Paper, Public Expenditure 1968–69 to 1973–74, Command Paper No. 4234 is expected to be due to demographic factors and what proportion to improvements in the standard of the services concerned.
§ Mr. Graham PageIncreased expenditure is being incurred not only because of population changes and improved standards of service but also because of the increasing cost of providing the same service; for example the need to renew obsolescent sewers and sewage purification plant and the change from tipping to incineration for refuse disposal. Since much new expenditure incorporates all three elements, it is not possible to isolate the proportion of expenditure attributable to any one of them.