§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will show the proportion of rate support grant to local government expenditure, and total public expenditure in 1954, 1960, 1970, 1980 and in each succeeding year to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe responsibilities of local government and the definitions of Government support and public expenditure have all changed significantly over the period since 1954. Comparisons over a period of this length are therefore difficult to interpret.
67W
Government grants* as a percentage of local government expenditure† in England and Wales or England only Year Per cent. England and Wales 1953–54 36.7 1959–60 37.8 1969–70 36.2 1979–80 60.0 1980–81 58.3 England ║1981–82 54.8
Year Per cent. ║¶1982–83 51.2 ║¶1983–84 49.7 ║¶1984–85 51.9
Government grants* to local authorities in England and Wales or England only as a percentage of United Kingdom public expenditure Year Per cent. England and Wales 1953–54 ‡ 1959–60 ‡ 1969–70 ‡ 1979–80 12.4 1980–81 12.1 England ║1981.82 10.4 ║¶1982–83 9.8 ║¶1983–84 •9.5 ║¶1984–85 •9.4 * Includes Government grants towards specific service, equalisation and general grants, etc. in the years 1953–54, 1959–60, and 1969–70.
Householders receiving assistance with housing costs England and Wales thousands Rent rebates* (council tenants) Rent allowances* (private tenants) Rate rebates† (all tenures) Supplementary benefits‡ (all tenures) 1970 350 not applicable 795 2,090 1980 1,095 223 2,930 2,160 1981 1,305 229 3,230 2,510 1982 1,383 255 •3,400 2,810 1983 ║•1,435 ║•299 not available ¶112,730 Sources: Returns of rebates and allowances to Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Departments of the Environment and of Employment; DHSS records of supplementary benefits.
* March 1970 (discretionary local schemes); October 1980 to 1982; May 1983.
† 1970–71, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83; including those also receiving rent rebates or allowances.
‡ November 1970; August 1980 to 1983;
║Standard rent rebate recipients, including housing benefit supplement recipients.
¶Certified Housing Benefit recipients.
•Provisional.
Approximately two-thirds of local authorities responded to an inquiry in 1960 and reported about 250,000 rent rebates (not uplifted for non-respondents) in March of that year.
In 1954 and 1960, respectively, 1.2 million and 1.3 million householders received national assistance.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for the Environment at what proportion of average earnings rent or rate rebates, or the housing benefit, applied in 1954, 1960, 1970, 1980 and in each succeeding year to the latest convenient date.
§ Sir George YoungEligibility for assistance with housing costs depends on the level of rents or rates and on family circumstances as well as on the income of the householder and spouse. For representative types of householders in England and Wales in accommodation at rents equal to the average for local authority dwellings and at rates equal to the average for all domestic accommodation, estimates have been made of their maximum eligible incomes under the mandatory national rebates schemes from 1980 to 1983.
The estimates are as follows:
68WAggregate Exchequer grant in the later years.
† Local government had a wider meaning in the earlier years, including drainage and river board, etc. Expenditure on HRA housing and trading services is included for these earlier years. From 1979–80 onwards expenditure has been defined as RSG relevant expenditure.
‡ Not really available on a comparable basis.
║ Aggregate Exchequer grant as given in the latest RSG report.
¶Provisional outturn expenditure data in 1982–83, budget expenditure in 1983–84, planned expenditure in RSG report for 1984–85.
•Estimated outturn public expenditure in 1983–84, planned public expenditure 1984–85 (Cmnd. 9143).