§ Mr. Laneasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing a comparison, from information available from international sources, between the proportions of local government expenditure met from Central Government taxation in Great Britain and in the European Economic Community countries.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerCurrent receipts by local authorities from other public authorities as a percentage of their total current expenditure in 1969 were:
United Kingdom … … 47 Belgium* … … 45 France … … 22 Germany … … 39 Italy … … 36 Luxembourg† … … 19 Netherlands … … 80 * Receipts are net of transfers paid by local authorities. † Figure relates to 1968; figure for 1969 not available. Sources:
United Kingdom:—Cmnd. 4631 (Preliminary Estimates of National Income and Balance of Payments 1965 to 1970).
Europe:—Yearbook of National Accounts 1959–69 published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities.
The receipts exclude grants in respect of local authority housing and other trading services; the costs of operating these services are excluded also from the total of current expenditure. In any comparison of these percentages, it must be borne in mind that they reflect differences as between each country in local government organisation, distribution of functions and finance.