§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much Walsall council would have to increase rates in 1981–82 to compensate for the reduction from the previous year in the block allocation or other grants from central Government.
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§ Mr. King[pursuant to his reply, 30 June 1981]: The new block grant system seeks to establish a fair assessment of how much grant each local authority needs in addition to its own local rateable resources in order to provide an equivalent level of service. It is necessary for all local authorities to make all possible economies and indeed the tough settlement has meant that all authorities have effectively suffered a loss of grant. Nevertheless, many authorities have still been able to avoid any significant increase in their rates. I therefore do not accept that a reduction in grant levels automatically leads to any equivalent increase in rate poundages.