§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor the spending of Suffolk county council year on year and to improve the evaluation of what the authority bids for each year from his Department. [14617]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesLocal authorities do not make bids in respect of their general revenue spending. The Secretary of State announces his proposals for the local government finance settlement annually and he takes account of their representations before reaching his final decisions. Authorities are required to provide information about their budget requirements and their spending annually to my Department.