§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what points of Knowsley's representations in respect of the rate support grant have been met by the Department; what is the increase in the needs element of the rate support grant for the council next year; and how much this is above the national average, as a percentage.
§ Mr. John SilkinKnowsley Metropolitan District Council has complained amongst other things that the needs element formula used for 1974–75 put it at a disadvantage because it was based on an analysis of the 1972–73 expenditure of the old local authorities; because some of the data used in the calculations related to the old local authority areas and had been artificially apportioned to the areas of the new authorities; and because the population and education unit figures used were out of date.
The formula for 1975–76 is based on an analysis of the new authorities' expenditure estimated for 1974–75; and all the data to be used relate to the new local authority areas and to the financial year 1974–75.
674WProvisional estimates suggest that Knowsley's initial needs element entitlement for 1975–76 will be about 60 per cent. higher than the original figure for 1974–75, compared with a national average of about 45 per cent.