HC Deb 28 March 1979 vol 965 cc237-8W
75. Mr. Costain

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in view of the fact that the Kent county council has lost £50 million of rate support grant needs element over the last five years, so that during a period of increasing population and demand for services the grant has fallen from 50 per cent. to 35 per cent. of the total net expenditure of the county council, he will take steps to increase the share allocated to Kent when next the needs element is decided.

Mr. Guy Barnett

No. The needs element of the rate support grant aims to compensate authorities for differences in their expenditure needs per head. Population growth is only one of many factors that have to be taken into account in assessing needs and there is no evidence that such growth necessarily leads to proportionately higher per head expenditure needs, as the question implies.