§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial support Government give through(a) the standard spending assessments, (b) the rate support grant and (c) other means to local authorities to fund rape crisis or sexual assault telephone helplines; and which authorities receive such funding. [6433]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordAs part of the safer cities initiative, we provide grant direct to a number of voluntary bodies and other organisations for the provision of rape crisis or sexual assault telephone helplines.
Standing spending assessments are made in relation to the major groups of services. They do not distinguish such detailed provision as telephone helplines. Revenue support grant is based on the total of SSAs, without distinction between services. It is for authorities to decide how much of their revenue from RSG and other sources they will spend on such telephone helplines. The Department has no information on authorities' expenditure on these services.