§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish, for each local authority in England, as available, its(a) cash backed, (b) non-cash backed and (c) total capital receipts as at 31 March 1988.
§ Mr. RidleyMy Department has now received accumulated capital receipts returns for 1987–88 from 99 per cent. of English local authorities. On the basis of these it is estimated that at the end of 1988–89 local authorities in England held accumulated receipts of £11.7 billion. Some of these receipts such as leasing disposals, were notional. The cash from much of the remainder had been used for such purposes as repaying debt and financing capitalised housing repairs. After allowing for such factors only £6.4 billion out of the £11.7 billion could be converted to cash.
I have today placed in the Library a table showing for each local authority which has provided a return, (a) the accumulated receipts and (b) the amount which could be converted into cash.