§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of local government in the year before reorganisation and at the latest date; and to what extent he estimates these various reorganisations have added to the inflationary spiral.
§ Mr. ShoreIn 1973–74 expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales ranking for rate support grant amounted to £10,114 million at 1977 survey prices. This year the figure is estimated at some £11,500 million. The 1973–74 figure does not include expenditure since transferred out of local government. The reorganisation of local government coincided with a period of accelerating inflation. It is not possible therefore to identify whether, or to what extent, reorganisation was a causal factor.