COMMUNITY CHARGE (Hansard, 18 February 1991)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Baroness Blatch)

Annex B of the Revenue Support Grant Distribution (Amendment) Report (England) details the control totals for standard spending assessments for local authority service blocks in 1991–92. The table shows that provision was made for net revenue expenditure of £2,341.8 million on the police service, £17,137 million on the education service and £4,417.8 million on personal social services. There is no separate element within standard spending assessments for spending on housing.

For all local authorities to spend at the level of their SSA, income from community charges would need to be £12,972 million. Assuming that there were no change in the amounts of non-domestic rates and revenue support grant paid to local authorities, the income needed from the community charge for all local authorities to spend at the level of their SSA would reduce by 18 per cent. if police services were fully funded by central government; and 33 per cent. if personal social services were fully funded by central government. There would be no need for any community charge income if education were fully funded by central government.