HC Deb 05 June 1990 vol 173 cc473-7W
Mr. William Powell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish(a) the 1990–91 standard spending assessment and (b) the actual budget announced for 1990–91 for each major service block for each authority in Northamptonshire.

Mr. Chope

The available information is as follows:

Comparison of Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) and 1990–91 Budgets
SSA Budget
£'000 £'000
Corby
Education 0 0
Personal Social Services 0 0
Police 0 0
Fire and Civil Defence 0 0
Highway Maintenance 0 68
Other Services 3,499 4,398
Interest Receipts -427 -504
Other Capital Financing 887 1,538
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 3,959 5,500
East Northampton
Education 0 0
Personal Social Services 0 0
Police 0 0
Fire and Civil Defence 0 0
Highway Maintenance 0 17
Other Services 3,877 2,833
Interest Receipts -253 -832
Other Capital Financing 360 1,946
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 3,985 3,964
Kettering
Education 0 0
Personal Social Services 0 0
Police 0 0
Fire and Civil Defence 0 0
Highway Maintenance 0 334
Other Services 4,928 4,965
Interest Receipts -347 -1,090
Other Capital Financing 523 630
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 5,104 4,839
Northampton
Education 0 0
Personal Social Services 0 0
Police 0 0
Fire and Civil Defence 0 1
Highway Maintenance 0 887
Other Services 13,325 15,829
Interest Receipts -1,001 -5,041

SSA Budget
£'000 £'000
Other Capital Financing 1,617 5,162
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 13,941 16,838
Wellingborough
Education 0 0
Personal Social Services 0 193
Police 0 0
Fire and Civil Defence 0 0
Highway Maintenance 0 178
Other Services 4,382 3,694
Interest Receipts -315 -760
Other Capital Financing 481 -788
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 4,549 2,517
Northamptonshire
Education 179,549 190,270
Personal Social Services 34,231 40,631
Police 18,550 20,205
Fire and Civil Defence 8,662 8,862
Highway Maintenance 20,428 20,512
Other Services 18,425 17,827
Interest Receipts -8,496 -6,534
Other Capital Financing 25,606 22,056
Total SSA/Net Revenue Exp 296,955 313,829

Sir Trevor Skeet

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what he estimates would be the saving in public expenditure if the several services administered by county councils were transferred to district councils assuming that expenditure continued to be related to the standard spending assessment.

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 8 May 1990]: It is not possible to estimate. The only information available is the savings resulting from the abolition of the metropolitan county councils and the GLC in April 1986. The overall manpower saving achieved immediately following abolition was estimated at some 6,300 posts. The projected long-term annual savings resulting from those staff savings were estimated to be some £100 million. Since the share county councils are responsible for such major services as education and social services, which the GLC and metropolitan county councils were not, the information is of little direct relevance.

Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East on 15 May, if he will give the population for each of the local authority areas listed in his reply, together with details of their central Government financial support for 1990–91, under the headings(a) revenue support grant, (b) non-domestic rates, (c) current specific grants within aggregate Exchequer finance, (d) current specific grants outside aggregate Exchequer finance, (e) credit approvals, (f) capital grants and (g) the totals of these categories.

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 21 May 1990]: The information is given in the table. Capital grants information is not available except for transport supplementary grants.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)
Relevant Revenue Non Current specific grants Basic Transport Total of
population support grant domestic rates within AEF outside AEF credit approvals supplementary grant columns (a) to (e)
'000s £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million
Avon 711.5 111.8 208.1 112.7 48.4 6.7 487.7
Buckinghamshire 469.7 97.3 137.4 34.5 41.5 21.1 1.2 333.0
Derbyshire 714.0 100.3 208.8 46.7 90.5 45.0 0.6 491.9
Dorset 502.7 46.4 147.0 35.0 64.8 18.4 2.9 314.5
Durham 456.1 82.2 133.4 32.8 61.1 30.1 2.4 342.0
Isle of Wight 98.7 15.8 28.9 5.4 14.1 6.5 0.4 71.1
Kent 1,146.1 220.1 335.3 72.6 123.0 55.9 12.6 819.5
Lincolnshire 452.5 79.0 132.4 29.4 49.5 21.6 1.6 313.5
Northumberland 229.2 41.9 67.0 40.5 13.2 1.5 1.641
Surrey 782.7 83.3 228.9 40.9 74.4 19.5 6.3 453.3
Warwickshire 364.9 48.0 106.7 74.2 11.7 0.5 241.1
West Midlands 1,888.4 785.1 552.4 538.3 175.9 16.7 2,068.4
West Sussex 546.8 55.0 159.9 32.6 54.6 22.9 4.5 329.5
Wiltshire 419.8 64.3 122.8 27.8 47.1 26.4 3.0 291.4

The total of current specific grants is given where the breakdown requested is not available.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions he met Lady Porter in December, January, February and March to discuss matters relating to the community charge.

Mr. Portillo

There was one meeting between the Secretary of State and Lady Porter during that period at which a wide range of issues was discussed including matters relating to the community charge.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions officials from his Department met officials of Islington council in December, January, February and March to discuss matters relating to the community charge.

Mr. Portillo

None.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent consideration of enhanced population in departmental calculations of community charge levels in Westminster is influenced by revenue from car parking.

Mr. Portillo

The weight given to the enhanced population indicator in the standard spending assessment for "All Other Services" is informed by statistical analysis of the variation in past expenditure by authorities on these services. The measure of expenditure used for this analysis excludes any income from car parking charges for all authorities including the City of Westminster.

Mr. Harry Barnes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East of 21 May, if he will publish in theOfficial Report equivalent figures for each local authority area in England for 1990–91 with the estimates of the actual sums raised from items (i), (ii) and (iii) also being presented in appropriate percentage terms.

Mr. Chope

Information is not yet available for each local authority area in England. The proportions of revenue support grant, non-domestic rates and current specific grants for the areas listed in theOfficial Report for 21 May in answer to the hon. Member's question, are as follows:

Revenue support grant Non domestic rates Percentage current specific grants
Avon 25.8 48.1 26.1
Buckinghamshire 31.3 44.2 24.5
Derbyshire 22.5 46.8 30.7
Dorset 15.8 50.1 34.1
Durham 26.6 43.1 30.3
Isle of Wight 24.6 45.0 30.4
Kent 29.3 44.6 26.1
Lincolnshire 27.2 45.6 27.2
Northumberland 28.0 44.8 27.2
Surrey 19.5 53.5 27.0
Warwickshire 21.0 46.6 32.4
West Midlands 41.9 29.4 28.7
West Sussex 18.2 53.0 28.8
Wiltshire 24.5 46.9 28.6

Actual values are given in the reply of 21 May.

Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what consultations he has had with disability organisations on the effects of the community charge on physically disabled people and their carers;

(2) what representations he has received regarding the effects of the community charge on physically disabled people and their carers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Chope

I am not aware of any recent consultations with such organisations but I continue to receive representations on a number of aspects of the community charge. The position of the physically disabled and their carers is taken into account in the community charge system. Those who are resident and receiving care or treatment in a hospital, residential care home, nursing home, mental nursing home or hostel, as defined in community charge legislation, are exempt from the personal community charge. Certain low-paid care workers are also exempt. Those who leave their own homes to care for a disabled person, or to receive care, will not be liable to pay the standard community charge for at least a year after leaving their homes. Many disabled people subject to the personal community charge will qualify for community charge benefit which may reduce bills by up to 80 per cent. Income support has been adjusted with respect to the remaining 20 per cent. liability its recipients will face. The rules for community charge benefit and income support both make special allowance for the disabled and there is additional help within the transitional relief scheme for those pensioners and disabled people who were not former ratepayers.

Mr. Ronnie Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average domestic rates bill per household in(a) 1979–80 and (b) 1988–89 for Blyth Valley, North Tyneside, Newcastle and Wansbeck.

Mr. Chope

The figures are:

1979–80 1988–89
£ £
Blyth Valley 134 430
151 485
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne 175 452
Wansbeck 120 375