HC Deb 15 February 1999 vol 325 cc430-1W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the(a) grants and (b) other financial support given by his Department to (i) Westminster City Council and (ii) the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, other than through the RSG settlement, in (1) 1997–98, (2) 1998–99 and (3) planned for 1999–2000; and for what purposes the funds were allocated. [70155]

Grants and other financial support to Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensignton and Chelsea
£000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
Westminster Kensington and Chelsea Westminster Kensington and Chelsea Westminster Kensington and Chelsea
Grants
PFI special grant1 0 0 0 0 482 0
Single Regeneration Budget2 417 472 1,468 1,412 1,249 1,161
Estate Action3 9,000 0 5,860 0 2,301 0
City Challenge4 0 6,584 0 65 0 0
Home Improvement Agency Grant5 0 47 0 47 0 19—
Private Sector Renewal6 632 768 564 780 675 780
Disabled Facilities Grant7 28 71 66 60 90 60
Other Financial Support
Basic Credit Approvals (BCAs)8 2,789 5,757 3,256 4,181 4,479 5,447
Capital Challenge BCAs9 0 0 1,220 0 1,792 0
Capital Challenge Supplementary Credit Approval10 150 0 400 0 448 0
Cash Incentive Scheme11 1,029 600 950 233 0 0
NDR Cost of collection allowance12 2,330 564 2,316 548 2,412 573
Capital Receipts Initiative13 2,039 1,095 6,618 3,959 7,176 4,319
Housing Revenue Account Subsidy14 38,273 22,489 36,300 22,126 19— 19—
Air Quality Supplementary Credit Approvals15 0 21 0 36 19— 19—
Transport Policies and Programme16, 17 5,270 2,218 3,094 2,142 1818,477 1,685
1 Revenue support in respect of contracts let under the Private Finance Initiative.
2 Grant to support regeneration initiatives carried out by local partnerships.
3 Aims to transform estates by providing additional resources for local authorities to implement regeneration schemes.
4 Grant to local authority-led partnerships to regenerate disadvantaged urban areas.
5 Grant paid to local authorities towards the costs of home improvement agencies.
6 Includes house renovation grants, group repairs and slum clearance.
7 Grant towards the cost of adaptations to the dwellings of disabled people living in private dwellings.
8 The amount of capital expenditure which an authority can finance by borrowing (or other forms of credit) is effectively limited by the credit approvals issued to it. Basic Credit Approvals (BCAs) can be used for any capital purpose.
9, 10 Basic Credit Approvals and Supplementary Credit Approvals (used for specific capital projects) awarded under the Capital Challenge pilot scheme in a cross-cutting government initiative where local authorities were invited to identify and bid for their own local priorities across the full range of services.
11 Supplementary Credit Approvals to support Cash Incentive Scheme grants to enable tenants to leave their Council home and buy in the private sector.
12 The cost of collection allowance is in respect of the cost to local authorities of collecting the national business rate.
13 Supplementary Credit Approvals allocated in respect of specific housing or housing related regeneration works.
14 A specific subsidy regime to help local authorities meet council housing expenditure, including the cost of housing benefit for council tenants (rent rebates).
15 To assist capital expenditure on statutory duties for air quality management under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995.
16 To provide support towards expenditure on the construction and improvement of local roads, structural maintenance of bridges and carriageways, local safety schemes, London-wide bus and cycle priority networks and other schemes.
17 Major schemes and principal carriageway works are supported by 50 per cent, grant and 50 per cent, credit approval. Remainder are entirely supported by credit approvals,
18 Westminster is the lead authority for bridge projects in London. The 1999–2000 figure for Westminster includes £16.7 million for bridge strengthening, most of which will be redistributed to other London authorities during the coming financial year.
19Not yet agreed.