Lord Broughman and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to announce the outcome of consultation on the local government finance settlement.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Viscount Ullswater)We are today laying before the House the Local Government Finance Report (England) 1995/96, the Limitation of Council Tax and Precepts (Relevant Notional Amounts) Report (England) 1995/96 and the Special Grant Report (No.12). These reports establish the amounts of revenue support grant (RSG) and non-domestic rates (NDR) to be paid to local authorities in 1995/96, and the basis of their distribution; specify the amounts which are to be used as the basis of comparison for measuring increases in certain local authorities' budgets in 1995/96 for the purposes of capping; and provide for a special grant to be paid to certain authorities for 1995/96. Two hundred authorities made written representations and Ministers met 90 delegations from local councils.
We shall be sending copies of these reports to all authorities as soon as possible, together with a table showing each authority's Standard Spending Assessment and its entitlement to RSG, NDR and special grant. We have also placed copies of the reports and the table in the Libraries and the Vote Office.