HC Deb 18 December 1991 vol 201 cc172-3W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for the years 1979–80 to 1991–92 for each service control total a comparison between actual local authority outturn expenditure and the relevant grant-related expenditure assessment or standard spending assessment.

Mr. Portillo

[holding answer 12 December 1991]: The service expenditure control totals used in the rate support grant settlements from 1982–83 to 1989–90 are shown in the table. Information on expenditure control totals is not available for years prior to 1982–83.

It is not possible to construct comparable figures for outturn expenditure on the basis of the available returns from local authorities.

The standard spending assessment service control totals used in the 1990–91 and 1991–92 revenue support grant settlements together with budgeted expenditure by local authorities on these services are as follows:

£ million
1990–91 1991–92
SSA control total Expenditure SSA control total Budgeted expenditure
Education 14,753 15,725 17,137 17,198
Personal social services 3,592 4,119 4,418 4,521
Police 2,125 2,163 2,342 2,451
Fire and civil defence 877 964 1,021 1,058
Highway maintenance 1,578 1,705 1,786 1,782
All other services 4,502 5,631 5,933 6,360
Capital financing 2,380 2,922 2,951 2,973
Total revenue expenditure 29,805 33,229 35,587 36,345

1982–83 to 1989–90 total grant related expenditure for the main groups of services
£ million
1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1. Education, arts and libraries 10,217 10,349 10,624 11,093 11,618 12,576 13,939 14,354
2. Personal social 1,943 2,085 2,205 2,366 2,553 2,756 2,913 3,269
3. Law and order 1,649 1,785 1,890 2,008 2,152 2,363 2,555 2,846
4. Transport 1,373 1,398 1,487 1,733 1,929 2,045 2,024 2,140
5. Employment and consumer protection 107 110 115 118 127 148 159 174
6. Housing 591 536 514 628 826 825 816 872
7. Environmental services 2,405 2,507 2,520 2,652 2,926 3,000 3,137 3,620
8. Financing items 203 461 527 622 660 29 464 386
All services 18,515 19,231 19,882 21,221 22,790 23,742 26,006 27,662