§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the Powys county of Wales (a) population (b) area, (c) rateable value, (d) rating revenue, (e) level of rate support grant, (f) total expenditure of authority, (g) amount by which such expenditure has increased or decreased over the previous year, and (h) amount by which Welsh Office has requested cuts in (i) expenditure on police, (ii) expenditure on water services, (iii) expenditure on education, (iv) expenditure on administration, (v) expenditure on roads, and (vi) size of staffing.
§ Mr. Alec JonesThe information relating to Powys is as follows and relates68W to the financial year 1976–77 unless otherwise stated:
- (a) population (July 1975) 100,800.
- (b) area (acres) 1,255,000.
- (c) rateable value, £7,668,380.
- (d) rating revenue of Powys County Council. £3,888,663.
- (e) level of rate support grant (includes share of resources element paid indirectly to county council via the precept), £19,025,000.
- (f) estimated outturn of expenditure of Powys County Council 1976–77. £27,045,000.
- (g) increase of above figure over county council's expenditure in 1975–76, £3,015,000.
Government advice to local authorities in England and Wales on the management of expenditure is couched in general terms and reference to services are illustrative only; decisions on any particular reduction are a matter for the individual authority.