§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much he estimates will be cut from the running costs of local authority services for the sick, elderly, mentally ill and handicapped as a result of the new rate support grant arrangements; what consultations he has had with the local authority organisations on this aspect of reduction in Exchequer expenditure; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI have been asked to reply.
Individual local authorities have discretion to apply the reductions in expenditure to different parts of their services in the light of their particular circumstances, provided the total reductions indicated in the White Paper on "Rate Support Grant 1974–75" (Cmnd 5532) are achieved. It is thus not possible to identify in advance what will be the reductions of running costs for particular services. My Department has been concerned in all the consultations with the local authority associations on the rate support grant for 1974–75.