§ Mr. Gwilym Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of South Glamorgan county council's likely rate increase if it acceded to his proposal, made at his meeting with representatives of Welsh county councils on 17 February, for a reduction in its planned increase in spending from 9 per cent. to 7.5 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Raymond Gowerasked the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with South Glamorgan county council concerning its rate precept for 1986–87; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsWhen I met representatives of all Welsh county councils on 17 February they refused to consider making any reduction in their planned spending for 1986–87 and were on course to press ahead with unjustifiable rate increase without regard for their ratepayers. I was not prepared for the interest of ratepayers to be disregarded in this way. I have therefore decided, in their interests, to recycle £13 million of the grant that would have been unclaimed as a result of county council overspending. As a result of this decision South Glamorgan county council has reduced its proposed precept increase by 5p to 183.2p—24.3 per cent. above the precept for 1985–86. Had the county also reduced the
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Numbers of deaths and discharges of in-patients who received radiotherapy treatment for a cervical carcinoma 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 Singleton hospital Total deaths and discharges of which: 121 114 106 84 102 increase in its planned expenditure by 1½ per cent., the precept could have been reduced by a further 8.3p to 174.9p. If the council had budgeted to spend in line with the 1986–87 RSG settlement, the best for Wales for many years, its precept could have been et at 156.5p—a result which would have been to the clear advantage of ratepayers. In fact, spending is set to increase by 9.4 per cent., over 1985–86 budgets or more than twice the rate of inflation. This decision will place an intolerable burden on ratepayers. I hope that, like Dyfed, South Glamorgan and other overspending councils will think again. They can and should reduce the burden they have now placed on their ratepayers.