§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91(a) the amount of moneys paid to local authorities from the European regional development fund and (b) the amount which is taken into account under the additionality principle for basic credit approval purposes showing the totals for each local authority concerned and the programmes being financed.
§ Mr. Portillo(a) Information on the amount of moneys paid to individual local authorities from the European regional development fund could be provided only at disproportionate cost and (b) EC grants enhance the national total available for distribution as credit approvals. In general that total is distributed to individual local authorities as basic credit approvals on the basis of their overall spending needs, without regard to whether expenditure is to be supported by EC grants. There is a limited exception for expenditure in the other services block where expected EC receipts are taken into account in distributing supplementary credit approvals.