§ Lord Mulleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the revenue support grant and other grants to local authorities under the proposals of the Local Government Finance Bill will vary in character and amount from those currently in operation.
The Minister of State, Deparment of the Environment (The Earl of Caithness)The way in which revenue support grant will work is set out in the booklet,Paying for Local Government: The New 888WA Grant System, published in September 1987, a copy of which is in the Library. The proposals in the Local Government Finance Bill will have no effect on the other specific and supplementary grants within the aggregate exchequer grant currently paid to local authorities, except that there will no longer be a need for domestic rate relief grant. The Bill clarifies the powers under which transport supplementary grant is paid, but does not change the basis on which it will be paid. The quantum of revenue support grant and other grants will contine to be decided annually as now in the light of prevailing circumstances.