§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the amounts of central Government grant contributed towards the 1975–76 capital expenditure of regional water authorities and the Welsh National Water Development Authority; and what are the different sets of legislation under which the grants were given.
§ Mr. Denis HowellNo grant is paid towards the general capital expenditure of water authorities, which are expected to operate as self-financing entities. Specific grants are payable by my Department and the Welsh Office, for particular schemes serving certain purposes, under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts and Section 7 of the Local Employment Act 1972. These grants relate to the capital costs of schemes carried out during more than one year, and are payable in arrears. They cannot, therefore, be readily related to capital expenditure 317W in any one year, and no firm figures are available relating to 1975–76. The capital values of grants promised during 1974–75
Amounts promised for the areas of The Welsh Legislation under which grants were promised National Water Development Authority Other Water Authorities £m. £m. Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts … … … … 0.10 1.33 Local Employment Act 1972, Section 7 … … … … 1.30 0.05 Totals … … … … 1.40 1.38