§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has for the budgets of the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, the London Development Agency, the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority for 2000–01 and for the Greater London Authority's precepts for that year. [107724]
§ Mr. HillI have today issued a consultation paper setting out my proposals to the London boroughs, the ALG, representatives of industry and commerce, predecessor bodies and other interested parties. Subject to consultation, it is proposed to set a consolidated budget requirement for the GLA and functional bodies for 2000–01 of £2,179 million. We estimate that this will support total spending of some £3,600 million. Of this only £333 million will need to be raised from council taxpayers. For a Band D council taxpayer, this is equivalent to about £123 a year in the London Boroughs and £32 a year in the City.
Just £1.70 of this is to fund the additional cost of the new GLA services: about 3 pence a week for a Band D council taxpayer as promised in the White Paper "A Mayor and Assembly for London" (March 1998, Cm 3897). Nearly three-quarters of the council tax goes to fund the Metropolitan police. Since the Metropolitan police district does not include the City, this accounts for the lower cost borne by City council taxpayers.
From 2001–02 onwards the consolidated budget for the GLA and functional bodies will be set by the Mayor.