HC Deb 12 July 1984 vol 63 cc611-2W
Mr. Hooson

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when the second rate support grant supplementary report for 1982–83 will be published.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

I have today laid this report before Parliament, together with the Welsh rate support grant supplementary report for 1984–85.

The Welsh rate support grant supplementary (No. 2) report 1982–83 adjusts grant holdback from a budget basis to an outturn basis, now that the necessary outturn date from local authorities is available.

The 1982–83 outturn expenditure compared with revised budgets resulted in fewer authorities exceeding their target than budgets had shown. However, authorities' outturn overall exceeded target by more than their revised budgets. The effect is an increase of grant holdback from £4.2 million to £5 million.

The Welsh rate support grant supplementary report 1984–85 implements the Government's proposal to withhold block grant from those authorities which have exceeded the Government's 1984–85 expenditure targets.

*1980 *1983
Number of children in residential care Number of children boarded out Number of children in residential care Number of children boarded out
Clwyd 237 269 129 229
Dyfed 96 146 62 130
Gwent 182 288 173 308
Gwynedd 59 134 49 176
Mid Glamorgan 378 310 271 355
Powys 35 33 29 54
South Glamorgan 386 307 277 292

Authorities' budgets indicate planned spending above these targets of £19.7 million and the block grant withholding amount to £13 million.

The report confirms continuing Government efforts to seek expenditure reductions from local authorities, backed by individual expenditure targets and grant withholding for overspending these targets.

Both reports also make certain technical changes to the calculation of grant-related expenditure.

My Department is sending to local authorities copies of each report, and tables showing their grant entitlements.

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