HC Deb 05 May 1998 vol 311 c311W
21. Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the cost of running local authority services in sparsely populated rural areas. [39526]

Mr. Raynsford

The Government recognise that sparsity of population is likely to increase the cost of providing some local authority services. This is reflected in the calculation of standard spending assessments.