HC Deb 28 June 1977 vol 934 cc188-97W
Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the estimates of current expenditure in 1976–77 and 1977–78 for each local authority as most recently notified to him by authorities.

Mr. Shore

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is to publish a complete analysis of the 1977–78 revenue estimates in its "Return of Rates" to be available in August. The summary figures listed below for 1976–77 and 1977–78 cover total estimated current expenditure for each local authority. Full explanatory notes on the coverage of the figures follow the table. The figures exclude debt charges, interest receipts, transfers to capital account and to the housing revenue account. The 1977–78 estimates include provisions made by individual authorities for anticipated cost increases in the year. The returns from which the figures were taken were received by my Department between March and May reflecting the position at the time when ratings were taken. The estimates may be revised when final outturn figures for 1976–77 are available and as plans change to meet circumstances during 1977–78.

The figures are as follows:

Total current expenditure
Estimate 1977–78 Revised estimate 1976–77
£'000 £'000
Avon … 160,592 148,085
Bedfordshire … 97,116 88,189
Berkshire … 114,834 105,295
Buckinghamshire … 88,656 81,736
Cambridgeshire … 94,737 87,286
Cheshire … 168,469 151,549
Cleveland … 119,210 107,533
Cornwall … 67,423 60,408
Cumbria … 91,293 83,213
Derbyshire … 162,264 142,468
Devon … 153,081 138,113
Dorset … 94,119 86,728
Durham … 116,441 108,722
East Sussex … 106,117 97,919
Essex … 230,064 214,607
Gloucestershire … 85,358 77,893
Hampshire … 239,830 219,108
Hereford and Worcester … 101,597 93,172
Hertfordshire … 174,852 161,690
Humberside … 159,192 146,679
Isle of Wight … 18,343 16,593
Total current expenditure
Estimate 1977–78 Revised estimate 1976–77
£'000 £'000
Kent … 241,465 222,619
Lancashire … 246,970 224,508
Leicestershire … 144,082 131,031
Lincolnshire … 95,445 87,193
Norfolk … 109,840 99,594
Northamptonshire … 90,758 82,178
Northumberland … 54,907 50,970
North Yorkshire … 116,965 106,933
Nottinghamshire … 184,747 167,716
Oxfordshire … 88,560 83,067
Salop … 60,910 54,837
Somerset … 69,084 62,168
Staffordshire … 175,892 160,771
Suffolk … 91,334 82,773
Surrey … 163,344 149,499
Warwickshire … 77,613 73,996
West Sussex … 98,410 89,071
Wiltshire … 89,531 78,391
Clwyd … 72,492 65,473
Dyfed … 68,659 59,874
Gwent … 83,966 77,838
Gwynedd … 48,333 44,464
Mid Glamorgan … 107,489 95,444
Powys … 26,267 24,237
South Glamorgan … 70,836 65,549
West Glamorgan … 78,360 70,976
Greater Manchester … 130,636 122,753
Merseyside … 102,572 94,567
South Yorkshire … 77,003 64,264
Tyne and Wear … 73,479 65,507
West Midlands … 136,474 128,693
West Yorkshire … 110,337 100,794
Isles of Scilly … 442 408
Greater Manchester:
Bolton … 43,458 39,239
Bury … 27,325 24,615
Manchester … 103,811 92,553
Oldham … 36,981 34,191
Rochdale … 38,398 33,960
Salford … 44,834 41,487
Stockport … 44,182 40,905
Tameside … 37,879 35,132
Trafford … 37,531 35,370
Wigan … 48,671 45,970
Merseyside:
Knowsley … 38,062 35,026
Liverpool … 106,916 99,860
St. Helens … 31,931 28,972
Sefton … 48,846 43,838
Wirral … 57,246 52,221
South Yorkshire:
Barnsley … 40,093 34,690
Doncaster … 53,308 49,954
Rotherham … 42,999 39,835
Sheffield … 99,060 86,534
Tyne and Wear:
Gateshead … 37,197 34,393
Newcastle-upon-Tyne … 60,319 56,497
North Tyneside … 34,293 30,205
South Tyneside … 31,989 28,747
Sunderland … 50,786 46,516
West Midlands:
Birmingham … 188,448 172,601
Coventry … 58,969 51,905
Dudley … 38,313 35,529
Sandwell 51,235 46,507
Solihull 29,553 26,627
Walsall 43,407 39,758
Wolverhampton 45,572 40,617
West Yorkshire:
Bradford 86,975 79,249
Calderdale 31,997 29,956
Kirklees 58,302 54,207
Leeds 112,854 102,888
Wakefield 52,847 48,813
Greater London Council 643,581 620,596
City of London 14,898 14,420
Camden 27,906 26,686
Greenwich 21,415 18,670
Hackney 24,634 20,869
Hammersmith 23,073 20,312
Islington 27,368 23,075
Kensington and Chelsea 17,849 15,846
Lambeth 35,930 31,566
Lewisham 27,190 24,252
Southwark 32,204 28,682
Tower Hamlets 26,231 22,682
Wandsworth 32,089 27,298
Westminster 31,827 29,850
Barking 32,972 29,036
Barnet 50,295 46,342
Bexley 40,713 36,028
Brent 56,749 48,757
Bromley 49,372 45,743
Croydon 58,499 53,168
Haling 57,297 51,561
Enfield 43,884 39,842
Haringey 51,743 46,945
Harrow 35,535 32,814
Havering 43,885 40,349
Hillingdon 43,931 42,100
Hounslow 38,564 35,553
Kingston-upon-Thames 24,017 22,370
Merton 31,289 28,675
Newham 48,332 44,964
Redbridge 36,268 33,640
Richmond-upon-Thames 27,677 24,822
Sutton 27,560 24,600
Waltham Forest 44,088 39,822
Avon:
Bath 2,193 1,916
Bristol 12,921 9,933
Kingswood 1,142 1,058
Northavon 1,608 1,521
Wansdyke 1,627 1,472
Woodspring 3,556 3,342
Bedfordshire:
North Bedfordshire 3,345 2,980
Luton 3,439 3,050
Mid Bedfordshire 1,553 1,372
South Bedfordshire Not available
Berkshire:
Bracknell 2,019 2,005
Newbury 2,122 1,972
Reading 4,162 3,619
Slough 3,242 2,702
Windsor and Maidenhead 2,664 2,520
Wokingham 1,726 1,569
Buckinghamshire:
Aylesbury Vale 2,297 2,141
Beaconsfield 1,304 1,200
Chiltern 1,822 1,604
Milton Keynes 2,367 1,987
Wycombe 2,417 2,311
Total current expenditure
Estimate 1977–78 Revised estimate 1976–77
£'000 £'000
Cambridgeshire:
Cambridge 1,734 1,548
East Cambridgeshire 934 862
Fenland 1,377 1,068
Huntingdon 1,646 1,560
Peterborough 3,191 2,548
South Cambridgeshire 1,373 1,329
Cheshire:
Chester 2,832 2,556
Congleton 1,908 1,790
Crewe and Nantwich 2,411 2,246
Ellesmere Port 2,283 1,919
Halton 3,231 2,901
Macclesfield 3,892 3,553
Vale Royal 3,101 2,873
Warrington 4,830 4,535
Cleveland:
Hartlepool 2,552 2,309
Langbaurgh 4,718 4,258
Middlesbrough 5,409 4,465
Stockton on Tees 4,276 4,276
Cornwall:
Caradon 1,308 1,124
Carrick 1,699 1,822
Kerrier 1,759 1,543
North Cornwall 1,331 1,182
Penwith 1,525 1,274
Restormel 1,603 1,469
Cumbria:
Allerdale 2,192 1,981
Barrow in Furness 2,302 1,898
Carlisle 2,530 2,254
Copeland 2,032 1,885
Eden 742 645
South Lakeland 2,236 1,924
Derbyshire:
Amber Valley 2,211 1,942
Bolsover 1,542 1,377
Chesterfield 2,826 2,818
Derby 5,476 4,316
Erewash 2,242 2,044
High Peak 2,132 1,919
North East Derbyshire 2,428 1,957
South Derbyshire 1,141 1,057
West Derbyshire 1,435 1,188
Devon:
East Devon 2,173 1,740
Exeter 2,190 1,929
North Devon 1,879 1,746
Plymouth 3,773 3,162
South Hams 1,518 1,419
Teignbridge 2,241 1,971
Tiverton 962 898
Torbay 2,617 2,312
Torridge 956 864
West Devon 633 560
Dorset:
Bournemouth 4,209 3,671
Christchurch 802 769
North Dorset 661 561
Poole 2,632 2,117
Purbeck 795 616
West Dorset 1,307 1,165
Weymouth and Portland 1,524 1,361
Wimborne 1,054 890
Durham:
Chester le Street … Not available
Darlington … 2,619 2,510
Derwentside … 2,081 1,826
Durham … 2,297 2,175
Easington … 3,201 2,414
Sedgefield … 2,765 2,394
Teesdale … 493 446
Wear Valley … 2,733 1,945
East Sussex:
Brighton … 7,161 6,280
Eastbourne … 2,985 2,551
Hastings … 3,077 2,836
Hove … 2,562 2,372
Lewes … 1,982 1,803
Rother … 2,055 1,927
Wealden … 1,878 1,736
Essex:
Basildon … 4,394 3,584
Braintree … 1,926 1,746
Brentwood … 1,319 1,248
Castle Point … 2,001 1,842
Chelmsford … 2,150 1,984
Colchester … 2,686 2,595
Epping Forest … 2,637 2,511
Harlow … 3,217 2,639
Maldon … 910 876
Rochford … 1,491 1,330
Southend on Sea … 5,277 4,783
Tendring … 2,589 2,399
Thurrock … 3,689 3,254
Uttlesford … 1,178 1,018
Gloucestershire:
Cheltenham … 1,815 1,704
Cotswold … 1,134 1,005
Forest of Dean … 1,518 1,304
Gloucester … 1,847 1,717
Stroud … 1,826 1,654
Tewkesbury … 1,581 1,533
Hampshire:
Basingstoke … 3,193 2,864
East Hampshire … 1,831 1,644
Eastleigh … 1,480 1,420
Fareham … 1,854 1,400
Gosport … 1,516 1,326
Hart … 1,336 1,200
Havant … 2,390 1,850
New Forest … 2,947 2,543
Portsmouth … 6,521 5,036
Rushmoor … 1,792 1,610
Southampton … 8,327 9,102
Test Valley … 1,818 1,615
Winchester … 1,662 1,427
Hereford and Worcester:
Bromsgrove … 1,397 1,291
Hereford … 1,186 1,049
Leominster … 584 508
Malvern Hills … 1,562 1,453
Redditch … 1,872 1,456
South Herefordshire … 789 677
Worcester … 1,697 1,585
Wychavon … 2,287 1,857
Wyre Forest … 2,890 2,636
Hertfordshire:
Broxbourne … 2,061 1,905
Dacorum … 3,552 3,422
East Hertfordshire … 1,708 1,538
Hertsmere … 2,800 2,519
North Hertfordshire … 2,518 2,227
St. Albans … 2,804 2,588
Stevenage … 3,049 2,751
Total current expenditure
Estimate 1977–78 Revised estimate 1976–77
£'000 £'000
Three Rivers 2,463 2,343
Watford 3,099 3,064
Welwyn/Hatfleld 2,574 2,353
Humberside:
Beverley 1,741 1,598
Boothferry 1,297 1,188
Cleethorpes 1,705 1,554
Glanford 1,337 1,110
Grimsby 2,022 1,869
Holderness 970 794
Kingston-upon-Hull 8,100 7,056
North Wolds 1,998 1,866
Scunthorpe 1,957 1,803
Isle of Wight:
Medina 1,481 1,422
South Wight 1,237 1,128
Kent:
Ashford 1,290 1,274
Canterbury 3,568 3,081
Dartford 2,707 2,528
Dover 3,456 3,168
Gillingham 1,327 1,222
Gravesham 2,171 1,885
Maidstone 3,193 3,053
Medway 3,198 2,869
Sevenoaks 3,118 2,796
Shepway 2,786 2,598
Swale 2,705 2,526
Thanet Not available
Tonbridge and Mailing 2,403 2,230
Tunbridge Wells 2,328 2,055
Lancashire:
Blackburn 5,706 5,060
Blackpool 4,457 3,872
Burnley 3,117 2,844
Chorley 1,756 1,524
Fylde 1,668 1,547
Hyndburn 2,394 2,039
Lancaster 3,725 3,474
Pendle 2,885 2,543
Preston 4,218 4,165
Ribble Valley 1,143 1,033
Rossendale 2,259 2,070
South Ribble 1,951 1,759
West Lancashire 3,232 3,036
Wyre 2,057 1,940
Leicestershire:
Blaby 1,416 1,225
Charnwood 2,255 2,003
Harborough 915 845
Hinckley and Bosworth 1,265 1,181
Leicester 8,343 7,494
Melton 609 561
North West Leicestershire 1,303 1,171
Oadby and Wigston 828 807
Rutland Not available
Lincolnshire:
Boston 1,162 1,083
East Lindsey 2,164 1,987
Lincoln 2,372 2,231
North Kesteven 1,432 1,251
South Holland 1,645 1,551
South Kesteven 1,810 1,650
West Lindsey 1,325 1,189
Norfolk:
Breckland 1,698 1,595
Broadland 1,530 1,379
Great Yarmouth 2,350 2,143
North Norfolk 1,606 1,441
Norwich 3,733 3,209
South Norfolk 1,249 1,114
West Norfolk 1,809 1,521
Northamptonshire:
Corby Not available
Daventry 1,000 925
East Northamptonshire 1,000 922
Kettering 1,456 1,309
Northampton 3,830 3,437
South Northamptonshire 775 745
Wellingborough 806 749
Northumberland:
Alnwick 424 474
Berwick-upon-Tweed 248 245
Blyth Valley 1,706 1,567
Castle Morpeth 936 875
Tynedale 1,224 2,015
Wansbeck 2,089 1,879
North Yorkshire:
Craven 1,156 1,068
Hambelton 1,317 1,194
Harrogate 2,816 2,521
Richmondshire 1,117 941
Ryedale 1,401 1,302
Scarborough 3,515 3,326
Selby 2,152 1,914
York 2,339 2,309
Nottinghamshire:
Ashfield 2,028 1,744
Bassetlaw 2,207 2,021
Broxtowe 2,059 1,820
Gedling 1,713 1,592
Mansfield 2,518 1,809
Newark 1,757 1,547
Nottingham 9,216 7,937
Rushcliffe 1,782 1,574
Oxfordshire:
Cherwell 1,427 1,315
Oxford 2,639 2,524
South Oxfordshire 2,370 2,133
Vale of White Horse 1,972 1,906
West Oxfordshire 1,394 1,334
Salop:
Bridgnorth 697 647
North Shropshire 725 638
Oswestry 586 529
Shrewsbury and Atcham 1,794 1,929
South Shropshire 769 663
The Wrekin 2,989 2,668
Somerset:
Mendip 1,435 1,344
Sedgemoor 2,090 2,403
Taunton Deane 1,727 1,564
West Somerset 632 564
Yeovil 2,500 2,115
Staffordshire:
Cannock Chase 1,290 1,282
East Staffordshire 1,605 1,451
Lichfield 1,435 1,347
Newcastle under Lyme 2,726 2,415
South Staffordshire 1,423 1,308
Stafford 1,938 1,777
Staffordshire Moorlands 1,677 1,570
Stoke-on-Trent 5,655 5,347
Tamworth 1,280 1,218
Total current expenditure
Estimate 1977–78 Revised estimate 1976–77
£'000 £'000
Suffolk:
Babergh 1,395 1,236
Forest Heath 890 948
Ipswich 3,084 2,718
Mid Suffolk 1,378 1,202
St. Edmundsbury 1,870 1,725
Suffolk Coastal 2,099 1,935
Waveney 2,229 1,943
Surrey:
Elmbridge 2,944 2,676
Epsom and Ewell 1,814 1,654
Guildford 2,499 2,272
Mole Valley 2,052 1,901
Reigate and Banstead 2,975 2,727
Runnymede 1,518 1,275
Spelthorne 2,231 2,046
Surrey Heath 1,511 1,242
Tandridge 1,345 1,233
Waverley 2,679 2,493
Woking 1,616 1,431
Warwickshire:
North Warwickshire 1,800 1,940
Nuneaton 3,157 2,828
Rugby 1,961 1,840
Stratford-on-Avon 1,920 1,750
Warwick 2,432 2,186
West Sussex:
Adur 1,435 1,307
Arun 2,727 2,525
Chichester 1,925 1,755
Crawley 2,171 1,947
Horsham 1,556 1,531
Mid Sussex 2,012 1,835
Worthing 3,037 2,787
Wiltshire:
Kennet 1,186 1,114
North Wiltshire 1,662 1,506
Salisbury 1,923 1,670
Thamesdown 2,701 2,762
West Wiltshire 1,348 1,121
Clwyd:
Alyn and Deeside 2,185 2,047
Colwyn 1,652 1,437
Delyn 1,871 1,869
Glyndwr 1,164 994
Rhuddlan 1,908 1,620
Wrexham Maelor 2,677 2,358
Dyfed:
Carmarthen 1,640 2,265
Ceredigion 1,559 1,427
Dinefwr Not available
Llanelli 2,443 2,066
Preseli 1,728 1,438
South Pembrokeshire 1,180 1,147
Gwent:
BlaenauGwent 2,948 2,387
Islwyn 2,035 1,752
Monmouth 1,906 1,677
Newport 4,104 3,632
Torfaen 3,286 2,853
Gwynedd:
Aberconwy 2,142 1,850
Arfon 1,791 1,529
Dwyfor 793 690
Meinonnydd 917 808
YnysMon 2,180 1,933
Mid Glamorgan:
Cynon Valley 2,767 2,585
Merthyr Tydfil 2,778 2,592
Ogwr Not available
Rhondda 3,687 3,179
Rhymney Valley 4,055 3,572
Taff-Ely 3,267 2,659
Powys:
Brecknock 1,051 937
Montgomery 1,035 984
Radnor 570 531
South Glamorgan:
Cardiff 9,975 9,167
Vale of Glamorgan 3,715 3,301
West Glamorgan:
Afan 2,422 2,218
Lliw Valley 1,874 1,691
Neath 1,745 1,632
Swansea 6,308 5,646

Notes:

1. Defined as net revenue expenditure on rate fund services, excluding debt charges, rate fund contributions to capital accounts and capital funds, interest receipts, rate fund contributions to the housing revenue account and expenditure on mandatory student awards but including the cost of rate collection and rate fund contributions to trading accounts. This differs in a number of minor respects from the concept of current expenditure used in rate support grant analyses in that, for example, it includes capital expenditure charged directly to revenue and non-relevant current expenditure on common police and probation services.

2. In general, expenditure is defined to include precepts other than county and police precepts— but excluding general service charges collected on behalf of regional water authorities—to be gross of specific grant income, other than those specific grants not covered in the rate support grant settlement—e.g. rent allowances—and to be net of income from sales, fees and charges. The figures include the appropriate share of expenditure by joint police authorities for all constituent authorities other than those of the Metropolitan Police Authority. The Metropolitan Police Authority precept is shown separately

Mr. Onslow

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake to identify, when publishing local authority estimated current expenditure figures for 1976–77 and 1977–78, those authorities whose estimates exceed the limits he has asked them to observe, indicating the excess amount in each case.

Mr. Shore

The figures of estimated and planned current expenditure in 1976–77 and 1977–78 for individual authorities are given in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Thornaby (Mr. Wrigglesworth) today. The financial guidelines given to authorities in the RSG settlement for 1977–78 asked them to plan their expenditure for 1977–78 on the basis that only in exceptional circumstances should their current expenditure in cash terms exceed their actual expenditure in 1976–77 by as much as 8½ per cent. Individual authorities are responsible for judging the level of expenditure justified by the needs of their area.