§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements his Department has made to inform local authorities in Wales of changes in the rate support grant system; how changes will affect individual local authorities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThe new and separate block grant RSG arrangements for Wales in 1981–82 were discussed at last December's meeting of the Welsh consultative council on local government finance which my right hon. Friend chairs. Minutes of the Welsh consultative council are circulated to all local authorities in Wales for information. In addition, local authorities have received details of the 1980–81 transitional arrangements which remain the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment.
Further details of the 1981–82 arrangements will be circulated to local authorities after they have been discussed in the RSG negotiations we will be conducting with the Welsh consultative council later this year. It is too early to predict how individual local authorities will be affected by the new block grant arrangements, but 685W the change will not affect the local authorities' ability to determine their own expenditure or fix their own rates.