HC Deb 07 February 1984 vol 53 cc571-2W
Mr. Thurnham

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on his

Mr. Waldegrave

The following table gives the available information on grants to the metropolitan borough of Sunderland for the years 1979–80 to 1983–84 in cash. Only RSG and housing subsidy are available for 1983–84. Figures can be converted to cost terms using the GDP deflator which, based on 1979–80=100, was 118.7 in 1980–81, 130.4 in 1981–82, 139.1 in 1982–83 and is forecast to be 146.0 in 1983–84. The grants taken to rate fund revenue account represent the following percentages of total gross rate fund revenue expenditure:

Percentage
1979–80 68.7
1980–81 67.0
1981–82 51.8
1982–83 45.2

Because of the changes in 1981–82 in the system for distributing rate support grants, the percentages for 1979–80 and 1980–81 are not comparable with those for 1981–82 and 1982–83.

decision to accept only 54 per cent. of Greater Manchester county council's capital spending bid for grant purposes in the 1984–85 financial year.

Mrs. Chalker

My right hon. Friend accepted £22.546 million of capital expenditure for Greater Manchester in the 1984–85 TSG settlement, compared with £18.675 million in 1983–84, an increase of over 20 per cent. compared with a national average increase of 4.5 per cent. The council's bid was for£41.7 million, an increase of 123 per cent. It was unrealistic of the council to suppose that it would be possible to allocate them such a large share of limited resources.