§ Mr. Soamesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to make any changes in the cash limit for the rate support grant Vote.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinSubject to parliamentary approval of the necessary revised Estimate, the cash limit for Class XVIII, Vote 1 will be reduced by £400,000,000 from £9,172,000,000 to £8,772,000,000. Although I have yet to take formal decisions on the implementation of the abatement of block grant for 1985–86, this reduction flows from the proposals in the "Rate Support Grant Report (England) 1985–86" (approved by the House on 16 January 1985) and takes account of budgeted expenditure figures received from local authorities. It also reflects a recalculation of grant entitlements for 1982–83 in the light of the latest information about outturn expenditure in respect of that year. The proposed altered grant entitlements for 1985–86 and 1982–83 will be subject to the approval by the House of the relevant rate support grant supplementary reports. I hope to lay these reports before the House before the summer adjournment.