§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if a new factor to reflect numbers of unemployed has been included in the 1978 undamped rate support grant distribution formula; and what it represents per unemployed person.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe distribution formula for 1978–79 has yet to be determined.
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§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what relief Cambridgeshire ratepayers may expect in the level of rate support grant in the coming years.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettDiscussions are still proceeding with the local authority associations on the arrangements for the distribution of rate support grant in 1978–79 Final decisions on the Government's proposals for 1978–79 will be made in the autumn, and will be put to the House for approval just before Christmas.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had from Cambridgeshire regarding the cuts in the rate support grant; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettI and my colleagues have received many representations from Cambridgeshire, and I have met a deputation from the county council The position of the county will be borne in mind when decisions are taken on the distribution of rate support grant in 1978–79, along with that of other authorities hard hit by the 1977–78 rate support grant settlement.
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a league table of counties affected by changes in rate support grant, showing percentage gains and losses in the current year as against in previous years; and if he will arrange the list to show the counties most affected at the top.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe following list shows for counties in England and Wales the percentage change in the initial distribution of the total of the needs and resources elements of rate support grant for 1977–78 compared with the comparable totals for 1976–77. These grants are the needs element paid to the non-metropolitan county councils, the metropolitan districts and the London boroughs under the main order for 1976–77 and 1977–78, and the first estimates of the resources element entitlements for those years paid to the non-metropolitan and metropolitan districts and the London boroughs. The amounts in respect of the domestic element of rate support grant which are payable to all rating authorities are not 101W included in the figures. Domestic element grants are paid to compensate authorities for the lower rates levied on domestic properties; for both 1976–77 and 1977–78 these reductions were 18½p in England and 36p in Wales.
DIFFERENCE IN 2 TERMS OF TOTAL RSG NEEDS AND RESOURCES GRANTS
PAID TO AUTHORITIES IN 1977–78
COMPARED WITH EQUIVALENT
GRANTS 1976–77
County per cent. Merseyside … +8.9 Cornwall … +6.9 Humberside … +6.1 Greater London … +5.4 Powys … +4.9 Greater Manchester … +4.9 South Yorkshire … +4.0 Tyne and Wear … +3.5. Gwent … +3.4 Lancashire … +3.2 West Midlands … +3.0 Salop … +2.6 Clwyd … +2.5 Hampshire … +2.4 South Glamorgan … +1.6 Staffordshire … +1.5 Devon … +1.4 Cumbria … +1.3 West Yorkshire … +1.0 Mid Glamorgan … +1.0 Cleveland … +1.0 Nottinghamshire … +0.9 Leicestershire … +0.8 Isle of Wight … +0.7 Kent … +0.6 Lincolnshire … +0.5 Dyfed … -0.3 Durham … -0.9 West Glamorgan … -1.1 North Yorkshire … -1.5 Derbyshire … -1.5 Gwynedd … -1.6 Avon … -1.8 Suffolk … -2.2 Somerset … -2.6 Northumberland … -2.7 Norfolk … -2.8 East Sussex … -3.2 Hereford and Worcester … -3.4 Cheshire … -3.6 Wiltshire … -3.7 Gloucestershire … -3.8 Essex … -4.0 Northamptonshire … -4.0 Dorset … -4.7 Berkshire … -6.6 Bedfordshire … -6.9 Cambridgeshire … -8.1 Warwickshire … -8.1 Hertfordshire … -9.3 Oxfordshire … -9.4 Buckinghamshire … -9.8 West Sussex … -10.4 Surrey … -12.3