HC Deb 05 March 2002 vol 381 cc182-3W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the total cost to local authorities of implementing Best Value in(a) monetary terms and (b) terms of officer hours. [40229]

Dr. Whitehead

No reliable estimates exist as to the costs incurred by local authorities in complying with their duty under the Local Government Act 1999, either in monetary or officer hour terms. Any such costs have to be set against the benefits of improved services. My Department has commissioned research from Cardiff Business School to consider both the costs and benefits of best value; their interim report is expected in April.

Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when he expects to provide updated guidelines to local authorities on future applications for e-Government support funding; and if he will make a statement; [40469]

(2) when he expects to provide local authorities with the definitive strategy and detailed guidelines for implementation of the e-Government agenda; and if he will make a statement; [40468]

(3) what forward funding there will be for the next five years for local authorities implementing the Government's e-Government agenda; and if he will make a statement; [40466]

(4) what requirements there will be on local authorities to provide match funding for e-Government implementation; and if he will make a statement. [40467]

Revenue and capital grants paid to Haringey
£000
Outturn Budget
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Central Government funding
Revenue support grant 137,723 146,158 146,206 148,064 157,404
Redistributed non-domestic rates 46,577 49,195 54,223 61,509 60,645
SSA reduction grant 0 0 601 0 0
Specific grants inside AEF1 14,079 22,126 35,856 61,243 64,970
Revenue grants paid into GFRA2 184,300 195,353 200,429 209,573 218,049
Capital grants3 7,939 11,097 10,843 7,296 9,685
Public funding 192,239 206,450 211,272 216,869 227,734
1 Aggregate External Finance (AEF) is central Government support towards total standard spending. It comprises RSG, NNDR, and certain specific, supplementary and special grants. Specific grants inside AEF, reported asylum seekers grant increasing from £3.8 million in 1997–98 to £34.6 million in 2000–01. Haringey budgeted for £40 million asylum seekers grant in 2001–02.
2 This includes all revenue grants paid into the General Fund Revenue Account (GFRA), but may exclude certain public funding, for example from some non-departmental public bodies, which is recorded as income and is not separately identifiable.
3 Consists of central Government, non-departmental public bodies and National Lottery.

Sources:

1. Revenue Summary and GFRA Budget Estimates return.

2. Capital Outturn returns and Capital estimate return.