§ Mr. John Garrettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his Department's guidelines for local authorities on expenditure on libraries and museum services per 1,000 population; and what is the comparable expenditure by Norfolk County Council on these services.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonI have been asked to reply.
No detailed guidance in the form requested by my hon. Friend has been sent to local authorities about their expenditure on libraries and museums services. Following last year's rate support grant settlement, local authorities were advised generally that the forecasts on which the settlement was based included a small increase in the volume of current expenditure on these services for 1977–78 in part recognition of new commitments arising from the commissioning of new buildings. We are considering what further general guidance may be appropriate on the main consequences for local authority expenditure of the 1978–79 settlement announced on 18th November.