§ David MacleanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what impact changes in the local government formula grant will have on public services in Eden District Council, Cumbria. [83144]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will announce the new system for distributing Formula Grant, including detailed grant allocations for individual authorities, at the time of the provisional local government finance settlement which we expect to be around the start of December. Once the Government have allocated their grant, decisions about budgets and services are primarily for local councils to make. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has already guaranteed that no authority will face a cut in grant next year on a like for like basis, and hopes to do better than that when announcing the actual floors and ceilings scheme as part of the provisional settlement.