§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the rate support grant paid to Sunderland borough council in each of the financal years since 1979, expressed in(a) cash terms and (b) real terms expressed in 1987–88 prices; and what percentage of the council's total spending in each year this represented.
§ Mr. ChopeThe figure requested are provided in the table.
Expenditure figures quoted are total expenditure as defined for the purpose of the rate support grant system. Comparable figures are not available for 1979–80 and 1980–81.
The rate support grant figures for 1979–80 and 1980–81 are not comparable with those for 1981–82 and 1987–88. For the earlier two years they comprise needs, resources and domestic elements, whereas from 1981–82 onwards they comprise block grant and domestic rate relief grant.
Figures for 1979–80 to 1982–83 are final entitlements. Figures for the later years are subject to change when RSG supplementary reports are implemented and when final entitlements to domestic rate relief grant are calculated. Real terms figures are cash figures uprated by the GDP deflator.
Sunderland Rate support grant Total expenditure £ million Cash terms £ million Real terms £ million Rate support grant as a percentage of expenditure 1979–80 — 656.46 114.158 — 1980–81 — 77.125 113.913 — 1981–82 97.280 63.787 85.219 65.5 1982–83 108.042 64.724 80.646 59.9 1983–84 106.321 65.252 77.650 61.3 1984–85 105.848 65.556 74.668 61.9 1985–86 106.650 67.012 72.037 62.8 1986–87 145.164 69.813 72.745 48.0 1987–88 149.881 79.761 79.761 53.2