HC Deb 06 February 1986 vol 91 c249W
Mr. Hancock

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of money held by local authorities in capital receipts; and how much is held by each authority.

Mrs. Rumbold

It is estimated that at the end of 1984–85 local authorities in England held about £5.8 billion of accumulated capital receipts which, subject to the relevant prescribed proportions, give rise to spending permission under the capital control system. Not all of this total is backed by cash; some of the cash has been used for purposes, such as debt repayment, which do not extinguish the spending permission. Figures for the accumulated receipts of individual local authorities are not available centrally but the Department is currently undertaking an exercise to collect them.