§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the cost of salary increments is to be included in the rate support grant for next year; and what is the estimated gross cost of the salary increment element in local authority salary costs in the current year.
§ Mr. ShoreSalary increases, including salary increments, payable within the pay policy announced in the White Paper "The Attack on Inflation—The Second Year" count as relevant expenditure for rate support grant purposes. The gross cost of salary increments payable to local government employees in the current year cannot be identified separately from the information about the gross cost of local government wages and salaries available to my Department.