HC Deb 23 February 1989 vol 147 cc732-3W
Mr. Douglas French

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will give in tabular form for(a) Carrick, (b) Adur, (c) Alnwick, (d) Berwick-upon-Tweed and (e) Cheltenham district councils (i) which political party or groups of parties control the councils, (ii) what has been the percentage change in spending by the councils in each financial year since 1986–87, (iii) what has been the change in staffing levels, in whole-time equivalents, for each year since 1985, and (iv) what has been the change in the rate poundage expressed as a percentage for each financial year since 1986 and 1987;

(2) if he will give in tabular form for (a) Southend-on-Sea, (b) Three Rivers, (c) West Lindsey, (d) Wyre Forest, (e) South Somerset and (f) Chelmsford district councils (i) which political party or groups of parties control the councils, (ii) what has been the percentage change in spending by the council in each financial year since 1986 and 1987, (iii) what has been the change in staffing levels, in whole-time equivalent, for each year since 1985 and (iv) what has been the change in the rate poundage expressed as a percentage for each financial year since 1986 and 1987;

(3) if he will give in tabular form for (a) Eastleigh, (b) Hastings, (c) Hereford, (d) Kerrier, (e) Maidstone, (f) Mendip, (g) Milton Keynes, (h) Pendle and (i) Peterborough district councils (i) which political party or groups of parties control the councils, (ii) what has been the percentage change in spending by the council in each financial year since 1986–87 (iii) what has been the change in staffing levels, in whole-time equivalents, for each year since 1985, and (iv) what has been the change in the rate poundage expressed as a percentage for each financial year since 1986 and 1988.

Mr. Gummer

[holding answer 22 February 1989]The information for the authorities listed is as follows:

Table A
Percentage change in net current expenditure and local rate poundage
Percentage change in net current expenditure Percentage change in local rate poundages
1986–87 to 1987–88 1987–88 to 1988–891 1986–87 to 1987–88 1987–88 to 1988–89
Adur 4.9 11.8 34.0 7.6
Alnwick 14.9 23.0 -5.9 22.0
Berwick-upon-Tweed 6.3 11.6 0.0 16.9
Carrick 17.3 9.4 5.0 14.7
Chelmsford 32.5 16.3 -11.7 35.9
Cheltenham 12.0 5.4 15.2 5.0
Eastleigh 6.4 53.0 0.1 5.9
Hastings 17.4 16.6 7.4 4.8
Hereford 11.4 4.2 0.0 -33.6
Kerrier 11.5 24.0 2.6 17.2
Maidstone 27.6 3.5 6.4 1.3
Mendip 20.8 10.5 4.0 11.5
Milton Keynes 20.7 47.7 0.0 3.9
Pendle 10.6 14.7 9.3 9.6
Peterborough 19.7 10.6 0.0 8.8
South Somerset 11.7 22.6 3.6 31.2
Southend-on-Sea 9.0 12.1 -4.5 0.0
Three Rivers 5.2 17.4 6.5 0.8
West Lindsey 60.6 13.9 4.4 7.1
Wyre Forest 3.8 23.5 -0.6 13.6
1 Using local authority budgets.

Table B
Changes in staffing levels1 since 1985
Authority Total staff (FT plus PT)2 Changes at June, compared with a year earlier
at June 1985 1986 1987 1988
Adur 431 +3 -4 3—
Alnwick 203 +1 +10 -6
Berwick-upon-Tweed 193 -8 -6 -1
Carrick 504 +12 +11 +41
Chelmsford 876 +13 +20 +29
Cheltenham 813 +19 +36 3—
Eastleigh 554 -9 -1 +20
Hastings 831 +17 +33 +39
Hereford 514 +6 +15 +26
Kerrier 545 -14 +25 +24
Maidstone 1,027 -18 -95 +15
Mendip 317 +11 +5 -2
Milton Keynes 869 +20 -10 +1
Pendle 814 +47 3— 3—
Peterborough 3— 3— 3— 3—
South Somerset 725 +4 +26 +3
Southend-on-Sea 1,737 +45 -350 +23
Three Rivers 500 -17 +10 +10
West Lindsey 412 +2 +2 +8
Wyre Forest 906 +60 +66 +2
1 Figures are for general services (i.e. excluding law and order services).
2 Full-time equivalent figures are not available at individual authority level.
3 Data not available.

Seven authorities of those listed, namely adur, Carrick, Chelmsford, Eastleigh, Hereford, South Somerset and Three Rivers, are currently controlled by a single party. In each case SLD has overall control.