HC Deb 26 November 2002 vol 395 cc254-7W
Mr. Pickles

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what proportion of the standard spending assessments in each local authority in England and Wales was financed by total external support in(a) 1996–97,(b) 1997–98 and(c) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement; [82816]

(2) what the level of(a) total external support and(b) standard spending assessment was in each individual local authority in England and Wales in(i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2002–03. [82812]

Mr. Raynsford

The figures for the proportion of the standard spending assessments in each local authority in England that was financed by total external support in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 2002–03 have been placed in the House Library. Figures for Welsh authorities are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.

The figures for the level of total external support and standard spending assessment for each individual local authority in England in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 2002–03 have been placed in the House Library. Figures for Welsh authorities are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Total external support consists of revenue support grant, redistributed national non-domestic rates, central support protection grant, SSA reduction grant, principal formula police grant and GLA general grant.

Nick Harvey

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact changes in the local government formula grant will have on public services in North Devon; and if he will make a statement. [83780]

Mr. Raynsford

We 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 has allocated its grant, decisions about budgets and services are primarily for local councils to make. However, we have already guaranteed that no authority will face a cut in grant next year on a like for like basis, and we hope to do better than that when we announce the actual floors and ceilings scheme as part of the provisional settlement.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the level of central funding by his Department of(a) Cheshire county council,(b) Chester city council,(c) Vale Royal borough council and (d) Crewe and Nantwich borough council in each of the last five years; and what the average funding of county, city and borough councils in England was in those years. [81263]

Mr. Raynsford

The available information on funding provided by my Office for the local authorities for which figures were requested is given in the tables.

Cheshire county council
£ 000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Revenue funding
Revenue support grant 245,586 156,322 160,037 152,227 166,347
Redistributed business rates 190,219 136,007 148,064 168,034 163,467
Beacon council grant 39
Invest to save budget1 235 235
Total revenue funding 435,805 292,329 308,101 320,496 330,088
Capital funding
Basic credit approvals issued 6,515 6,160 6,831 6,554 4,237
Reorganisation costs SCA2 2,169 1,980
Capital challenge— non-housing SCA2 1,285 1,525 550
Social housing grant 13
Total capital funding 9,969 9,665 7,381 6,554 4,250
1 25 per cent, is capital funding
2 SCA = supplementary credit approvals

Chester city council
£ 000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Revenue funding
Revenue support grant 3,430 3,390 3,381 3,223 3,458
Redistributed business rates 3,812 3,824 4,082 4,521 4,412
Central support protection grant 100
Housing revenue account subsidy1 4,989 4,341 3,807 2,220 72
Supporting people grant 20
Total revenue funding 12,231 11,555 11,370 9,964 7,962
Capital funding
Basic credit approvals issued 2,163 2,628 624
Capital challenge— non-housing SCA2 1,218 491
Capital receipts initiative— non-housing SCA2 159
Capital receipts initiative— housing SCA2 310 1,090 964
Cash incentive scheme SCA2 140 65
Social housing grant 53 20 235 321
Housing defects grants— loan charges: repurchase3 2 2 2 2 2
Single regeneration budget4 672 912 897 745 706
Total capital funding 2,395 2,739 4,261 3,375 1,653
1 HRA subsidy figures for 2001–02 are estimates, as payments have yet to be completed. Chester city council has been given permission to close its housing revenue account, but has not yet done so.
2 SCA = supplementary credit approvals.
3 Eligible for housing defects grant in 2000–01 and 2001–02, but not claimed.
4 Paid to Chester city council as the accountable body for the regeneration of West Chester project. This excludes any SRB funding paid to the council as project deliverer.

Crewe and Nantwich
£000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Revenue funding
Revenue support grant 3,107 3,258 3,166 2,996 3,289
SSA reduction grant 284
Redistributed business rates 3,606 3,646 3,924 4,359 4,289
Central support protection grant 98
Housing revenue account subsidy1 3,781 3,379 3,044 2,520 5,677
Supporting people grant 20
Total revenue funding 10,778 10,283 10,232 9,875 13,275

The figures included in the tables exclude funding provided by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the former Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions for areas of work that are now the responsibility of the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Crewe and Nantwich
£ 000
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Capital funding
Basic credit approvals issued 914 650 752 2,747 447
Capital receipts initiative— non-housing SCA2 50
Capital receipts initiative— housing SCA2 256 900 747
Social housing grant 24 41 44 206
Housing defects grants for loan charges:
reinstatements3 52 52 52 52 52
Housing defects grants for loan charges: repurchase3 2 2 2 2 2
Total capital funding 1,248 1,654 1,594 2,845 707
1 HRA subsidy figures for 2001–02 are estimates, as payments have yet to be completed.
2 SCA = supplementary credit approvals.
3 2001–02 housing defects grant figures are provisional.

Vale Royal
£ 000
1997–95 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Revenue funding
Revenue support grant 1,936 1,935 1,819 1,557 1,809
SSA reduction grant 30
Redistributed Business rates 3,640 3,696 4,014 4,485 4,442
Central support protection grant 132
Housing revenue account subsidy1 2.979 2,268 1,721 1,321 4,953
Neighbourhood warden team 23
Supporting people grant 20
Invest to save budget2 48
Total revenue funding 8,585 7,899 7,686 7,411 11,247
Capital funding
Basic credit approvals issued 697 193 603 2,570 707
Capital receipts initiative— housing SCA3 303 1,048 901
Cash incentive scheme SCA3 17
Total capital funding 1,017 1,241 1,504 2,570 707
1 HRA subsidy figures for 2001–02 are estimates, as payments have yet to be completed. 2 25 per cent, is capital funding. 3 SCA = supplementary credit approvals.

The following table gives information on the combined total of revenue support grant and redistributed businesses rates paid to shire county councils and shire district councils in each of the last five years.

Revenue support grant and redistributed business rates
£ million
1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Shire counties 6,478 10,048 10,545 11,036 11,524
Shire districts 1,348 1,346 1,377 1,430 1,496
Average amount per authority
Shire counties 190.5 295.5 310.1 324.6 338.9
Shire districts 5.2 5.7 5.8 6.0 6.3