§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list(a) the factors and (b) the figures used to determine the percentage increase in the 1990–91 standard spending assessments to take account of the costs arising from the geographical location of Surrey county and Spelthorne borough councils.
§ Mr. ChopeThe standard spending assessments for all authorities in the south-east standard region are adjusted to take account of higher labour costs in the region as identified by standardised earnings for an appropriate range of occupations from the new earnings survey for 1988. The precise adjustments vary from service block to service block according to the proportion of total costs represented by labour costs. Provisional figures are set out in annex F to the draft distribution report which my right hon. Friend placed in the Library on 6 November.