§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the extent to which each local authority social service department is currently below its grant-related expenditure allocation; and how large a penalty they will incur in each case if they reach their grant-related expenditure allocation.
§ Mr. NewtonWe do not collect information in a way which would enable valid comparisons to be made between individual authorities' actual expenditure on the personal social services and the relevant grant-related expenditure allocation levels. GREs for individual services are not designed as a basis for budget setting, but in aggregate with GREs for other services represent an assessment of the cost to each authority of providing a common standard of service, allowing for differences in the characteristics and needs of the different areas. It is for local authorities to determine spending on particular services in the light of their priorities and particular financial circumstances.