§ Sir Hector MonroTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the preparation of notional budgets for the new unitary authorities. [12172]
§ Mr. KynochI have today laid before the House, in terms of section 94A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992—as inserted by section 24 of the Local Government, etc. (Scotland) Act 1994—the notional amounts report 1996. Subject to the approval of the report, the amounts specified therein for each of the new councils will be used as the baseline for considering any capping action in 1996–97. I announced my provisional capping principles for that year in my reply to a question from my right hon. Friends the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 28 November 1995,Official Report, columns 585–87.