HC Deb 31 January 1985 vol 72 cc281-2W
Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what were his reasons for setting the 1984–85 grant-related expenditure in respect of rate fund contributions to the housing revenue account to zero for those authorities found to have notional surpluses on their housing revenue accounts.

Mr. Waldegrave

Following strong representations from authorities when block grant was introduced in 1981–82, the then Secretary of State decided that it was not right to assume in the distribution of block grant for 1982–83 that authorities with the potential to make a surplus on their housing revenue accounts would actually make those surpluses and transfer them to the general rate fund. The same decision has been made in each subsequent settlement.