§ 25. Mr. Bryan DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the Association of County Councils to discuss local authority finance.
§ 32. Mr. HoonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the Association of County Councils to discuss local authority finance.
§ Mr. RedwoodMy right hon. and learned Friend will be meeting representatives of the Association of County Councils at the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance in July and again in October. My officials and those of the assocation meet regularly to discuss a wide range of topics related to the financing of local authorities.
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§ Sir Michael NeubertTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the latest estimate of the extra capital spending by local authorities, generated by the relaxation of the rules relating to the use of capital receipts, over the three and a half years from the Chancellor's autumn statement on 12 November:
(2) what is the total sum of local authority capital receipts since the Chancellor's autumn statement to date; what proportion has been reinvested in building and construction work; and what his latest estimate of the total capital receipts due to be raised by the end of December.
§ Mr. Redwood[holding answer 25 May 1993]: No outturn information is yet available for the period since the autumn statement. I shall be monitoring the extent to which authorities are raising and spending receipts during the period of the relaxation of the capital receipts rules. No new estimate of extra receipts or spending has been made since that published in the autumn statement.
§ 73. Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his Department's best estimates of housing capital and other receipts likely to be received in 1993–94 and the amount of those receipts estimated to be set aside as provision for credit liabilities in each region and each class of local authority in England.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe Department is currently receiving and processing budget returns for 1993–94 from local authorities. I will arrange for the estimates to be placed in the Library of the House when this process has been completed.
§ 75. Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were (a) the total housing capital and other receipts received by local authorities, (b) the amount of those receipts set aside as provision for credit liabilities and (c) the total capital receipts spent by local authorities on capital projects, in each region and each class of local authority in England for 1991–92 and estimated for 1992–93.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe information is given in the table:
Local authority capital receipts (£ million) Received Set aside 1Spent 1991–92 Class Shire Counties 169 70 137 Metropolitan Districts 479 292 192 London Boroughs 504 320 272 Shire Districts 1,043 646 669 Other Authorities 68 27 36 Total England 2,263 1,355 1,306 Region South East 1,057 626 672 South West 159 91 136 East Anglia 109 72 49 West Midlands 224 138 82 East Midlands 149 84 115 North West 242 144 113 Yorkshire and Humberside 168 105 73 Northern 155 95 66 Source:
Capital Outturn Returns(Provisional)
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1992–93 Class Shire Counties 158 41 138 Metropolitan Districts 364 133 221
Received Set aside 1Spent London Boroughs 583 275 264 Shire Districts 924 427 597 Other Authorities 31 15 18 Total England 2,060 891 1,238 Region South East 1,050 471 591 South West 132 53 109 East Anglia 146 88 47 West Midlands 162 62 105 East Midlands 131 48 109 North West 184 75 114 Yorkshire and Humberside 130 46 100 Northern 125 48 63 Source:
Capital Payment Returns
1Use of usable capital receipts to finance capital expenditure, including use of usable receipts received in previous years.
§ 69. Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of set aside capital receipts was used to redeem credit liabilities in each region and each class of local authority in England in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.
§ Mr. Robin SquireLocal authorities are not required separately to identify the reserved part of capital receipts from other amounts set aside as provision for credit liabilities.
The following table shows the amount of external debt repaid using PCL moneys in 1990–91 and 1991–92. Information for 1992–93 is not yet available.
PCL money used by local authorities in England to repay debt £ million 1990–91 1991–92 Class Shire counties 189 193 Metropolitan districts 333 322 London boroughs 406 533 Shire districts 771 577 Other authorities 23 20 Total England 1,722 1,645 Region South East 852 817 South West 137 91 East Anglia 43 61 West Midlands 241 163 East Midlands 130 93 North West 140 182 Yorkshire and Humberside 89 143 Northern 90 95 Source: Capital Outturn Returns (provisional).
§ 34. Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further representations he has received regarding Gloucestershire county council's budget 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Robin SquireGloucestershire county council has challenged the cap proposed by my right hon. and learned Friend and suggested an alternative in support of which it has made oral and written representations. We have also received written representations from a number of school governors and Gloucestershire residents. My right hon.614W and learned Friend will consider all these representations very carefully before taking his decisions on the authority's final cap.