§ Mr. Strawasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of local authorities in England which spent less in 1979–80 than they were allocated by his Department for housing capital programmes, on the basis of the 1980 housing investment programme returns submitted to him by local authorities in England (comparing in real terms actual outturn in 1979–80 with allocation in November 1978); and by how much (in 1979–80 outturn prices) their actual capital spending was less than their allocation.
§ Mr. StanleyThe allocations made in November 1978 were revised in August 1979. I take it that the hon. Member is seeking a comparison of outturn with these revised figures.
A total of 192 authorities in England spent less than their revised allocations, by a total of £110–7 million at outturn prices.
These figures take no account of the tolerance arrangements for 1979–80 under which an authority's permitted expenditure might differ from its allocation as a result of its spending position in previous years. As a result of spending under the tolerance arrangements, 1979–80 outturn expenditure was £8 million in excess of the total sum allocated.
§ Mr. Strawasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of local authorities in England which he expects will spend less in 1980–81 on housing capital programmes than they were allocated by his Department (comparing in real terms estimated payments in 1980–81 to housing investment programme allocations in February 1980), on the basis of housing investment programme and the returns recently submitted to him by English local authorities following the moratorium on all capital projects announced on 23 October; and by how much in real terms he expects their actual capital spending to fall short of their allocation.
§ Mr. StanleyOn the latest figures available to me, 179 authorities estimate that their existing expenditure commitments fall short of their allocations excluding tolerance by a total of £84.9 million at outturn prices.