§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopTo ask the Prime Minister whether, in respect of England, any one Minister has the duty of recording, both individually and cumulatively, the additional costs falling to be paid by community charge resulting from obligations laid on local authorities pursuant to new Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments and departmental circulars.
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment monitors the costs of all central Government initiatives which are likely to have resource implications for local authorities. In assessing the level of total standard spending appropriate for a particular year, we take full account of new burdens on local authorities and the scope for savings.