§ Mr. Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will now take steps to ensure that all Welsh community and town councils receive a fair share of the needs element of every rate support grant in respect of their areas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe question of distributing rate support grant to community and parish councils has been considered by successive Governments, but in view of the large number of councils involved and the wide variety of local circumstances it has not proved possible to find a practicable way of doing so.
§ Mr. Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will consider bringing forward legislation to amend section 147 of the Local Government Act 1972, for the purpose of removing all doubt with regard to the powers of Welsh district and borough councils to make community and town councils in their allocations of their rate support grants to community and town councils in their areas.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsI do not think it necessary to do so. The discretionary powers that district councils have under the terms of section 147 of the Local 525W Government Act 1972 do not in themselves allow district councils to pass on payment of rate support grant to community councils. However, it is my view that section 147(3) and section 136 taken together enable community and district councils to make arrangements locally which would assist community councils in the financing of their expenditure and can reduce the rate levied on community council ratepayers.