§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what weighting will be given to unemployment in the calculations of the needs element of the rate support grant for 1979–80; and how this will compare with 1978–79;
(2) what weighting will be given to one-parent families in the calculation of the needs element of the rate support grant for 1979–80; and how this will compare with 1978–79;
385W(3) what dumping or other compensation formula will be adopted to offset the arbitrary effects of the calculation of the needs element of the rate support grant under the present technique of regression analysis;
(4) what weighting will be given to the elderly living alone in the calculation of the needs element of the rate support grant for 1979–80; and how this will compare with 1978–79;
(5) what weighting will be given to the problems of the mentally ill in the calculation of the needs element of the rate support grant for 1979–80.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThis information will not be available until the terms of the 1979–80 rate support grant settlement are announced in the autumn.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to ensure that major cities such as Sheffield, which have been designated for help under the inner urban programme, are not subsequently penalised by the arbitrary effects of the regression analysis technique in the computation of the needs element of the rate support grant.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettRegression analysis remains the fairest and most objective system for assessing local authority expenditure needs. It has secured a significant improvement in those areas which face the most pressing social and economic problems. The grant is, however, distributed by means of a formula of general application and cannot be manipulated to favour individual authorities. Sheffield did not fare as well in the 1978–79 grant distribution largely as a result of the once-and-for-all resorting of education data. Decisions for 1979–80 are still some months away.