§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish the estimated level of holdback of rate support grant as referred to in paragraph 5.21 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1983–84" and included in table 5.10 of that publication;
(2) if he will state the extent to which the forecast level of local authority current expenditure on goods and services for 1983–84 in table 5.3 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1983–84" exceeds the comparable figure in Cmnd. 8789 and if he will explain how any differences in the figures were calculated.
§ Mr. Brittan[pursuant to his reply, 28 March 1983, c. 66]: Tables 5.3 and 5.10 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report draw on preliminary information about local authorities' 1983–84 rates and budgets which became available after publication of Cmnd. 8789. They include an estimated £800 million additional current expenditure 132W on goods and services and subsidies, with £400 million less grant than implied in the rate support grant settlements.