§ Mr. Strawasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the local authority associations on developing grant-related expenditure assessments for local authorities personal social services expenditure; what steps he has taken to ensure that personal social services grant-related expenditures reflect need; and what proposals he has to develop personal social services grant-related expenditures in the future.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 22 April 1987]: The Secretary of State discussed the 1987 development programme for grant-related expenditure assessments with local authority representatives in the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 2 April. Proposals for development work on personal social service GREAs were put forward by the Association of County Councils and jointly by the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and the Association of London Authorities. However, as the Secretary of State indicated at that meeting, he does not propose to set up a group to review personal social service GREAs this year. In conjunction 686W with the local authority associations research is proceeding on the GREA for children's services but we do not expect results from this to be available in time for the 1988–89 RSG settlement.