§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage growth in real terms has been provided for in each rate support grant settlement since 1974–75, expressed (a) as an overall total and (b) by service.
§ Mr. Guy Barnett:It is for individual authorities to settle their expenditure priorities within the overall provision for current expenditure. The following table sets out the percentage growth in real terms envisaged in the forecasts of current expenditure on the main groups of services which underlay the total of relevant expenditure for the grant year, compared with what authorities were thought to be spending in the current year at the time of the settlement:
settlement will, of course, depend on the level of expenditure actually undertaken 809W in the year in which the settlement was made. Thus, the settlement for 1978–79 is now seen to imply growth of 3.4 per cent. over the level of expenditure authorities actually undertook in 1977–78; local authority current expenditure is in fact expected to grow by 2.9 per cent. in that year.
§ Mr. Michael Morrisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the amount paid in rate support grant per head of population, the rate income per head of population in each English and Welsh county, metropolitan district and London borough for each year since 1974.
§ Mr. Guy Barnett:The estimated amount of rate support grant per head of population and rate income per head of population in each county of England and Wales, metropolitan district, and London borough may be obtained for the years 1974–75 to 1976–77 from"Return of Rates"and for the years 1977–78 and 1978–79 from"Finance, General and Rating Statistics ", both published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Copies of both publications are available in the Library.