HC Deb 23 July 1996 vol 282 cc301-2W
Mr. Raynsford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by region the total amount of(a) useable capital receipts and (b) receipts set aside as provision for credit liability, held by each local authority in England at 31 March. [38015]

Mr. Curry

A list by region of the amounts of accumulated usable capital receipts and provision for credit liabilities held by each English local authority at 31 March 1995 has been placed in the Library of the House. The provision for credit liabilities includes amounts set aside from revenue as well as capital receipts. Separate figures are not available.

Ms Armstrong

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the delay in consolidating regulations for local authority capital expenditure and finance. [38278]

Sir Paul Beresford

We expect to issue draft consolidated regulations for consultation by October.

Ms Armstrong

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what were the needs assessments for local government expressed through the local government grant systems for(a) Westminster city council and (b) Liverpool city council in each year since 1979; [38279]

(2) if he will list for each authority for each year from 1979–80 to 1996–97 the amount that each was deemed to need to spend in (i) cash and (ii) real terms for the purposes of distributing rate support grant; to what extent the figures are comparable, taking account of (a) changes in functions of local authorities, (b) abolition of the Greater London council, the Inner London education authority and metropolitan counties, (c) the local government review, (d) changed arrangements for the assessment of needs, (e) changed arrangements for the payment of the needs element of rate support grant and (f) changed precepting arrangements; and if he will list for each authority on a comparable basis the assessed needs in each year on the basis of the percentage of total local government spending that each authority's needs represents and of the amount of assessed needs per head of population. [38280]

Sir Paul Beresford

Information on standard spending assessments from 1990–91 onwards in cash and in real terms has been placed in the Library. The information includes, for 1992–93 and later years, figures recalculated so as to be comparable to those for the year immediately following. These adjusted figures take account of changes in function and geographical responsibility, but not changes in data, methodology or the national totals for each element of the SSAs.

The figures in real terms are based on the gross domestic product deflator.

Information has also been provided as a percentage of the total for England and as an amount per head for the figures in cash terms.

Data on grant-related expenditure assessments, in cash and in real terms, covering the period 1981–82 to 1989–90, will be placed in the Library shortly.

I will write to the hon. Member shortly concerning data for the years before 1981–82.