Local Government Act 1966 (Hansard, 2 March 1988)

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications are pending for funding for section 11 posts under the Local Government Act 1966.
567W

§ Mr. John Patten
[holding answer 1 March 1988]: At 31 January 1988, the latest date for which information is readily available, there were 162 applications for some 1,040 new posts under consideration. In addition, there were five outstanding applications, covering 1,025 posts for replacement of social services posts previously funded under an outdated system relating grant to the size of the local ethnic minority population and seven applications for continued funding of some 1,900 mainly teaching posts arising from reviews of existing section 11 provision.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it takes to respond to local authority applications for funding under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966.

§ Mr. John Patten
[holding answer 1 March 1988]: Between 1 October 1986, when the current arrangements for the administration of the grant were introduced, and 31 January 1988, the latest date for which information is readily available, the average time taken to complete consideration of an application for grant has been between three and four months. At the latter date, of the 162 outstanding applications for new posts, 58 had been with the Home Office for less than three months; 50 for more than three but less than six months; 48 for more than six but less than 12 months; and six for more than 12 months. These periods include varying times spent waiting for responses from local authorities whose initial applications provided insufficient information for decision making.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it takes to deal with more detailed applications sent in response to an initial refusal of funding under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966.

§ Mr. John Patten
[holding answer 1 March 1988]: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.