§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the ability of the children's social services SSA to meet the demands found in seaside resort unitary authority areas; and if he will make a statement. [17962]
§ Dr. WhiteheadThe overall level of formula grant that Government make available to local government, including that for social services, is decided as part of our spending review process. Decisions are based on an assessment at the national level of pressures on services, the scope for greater cost-effectiveness, and what is affordable. We have not made an assessment specific to seaside resort authorities. The SSA formulae are the means by which we allocate this total level of grant between authorities. The grant distribution formulae are currently being reviewed in order to develop a system that is more transparent and fairer to all authorities. To date, the review has not made an assessment of the fairness of the current children's social services SSA formula as it relates specifically to seaside resort authorities. As part of the review, the Department of Health are commissioning research on the children's formula. Such an assessment would be difficult to make until further progress has been made.