§ Mr. Tyrie:To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will list the (a) Inner London boroughs, (b) Outer London boroughs and (c) Metropolitan districts who will have no increase in the level of grant for local authority service components, as defined in the Local Government Finance 2004–05 Revenue Support Grant Settlement, excluding the settlement for education; [143860]
(2) if he will list the level of grant change for all local authority service components as defined in the Local Government Finance 2004–05 Revenue Support Grant Settlement, excluding education, for West Sussex county council. [143865]
§ Mr. Raynsford:Formula grant distributed through the Local Government Finance settlement is not ring fenced for any purpose.
§ Miss McIntosh:To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on resolving shortfalls in income between the level of grant allocated to local authorities and the actual cost of the provision of services. [142038]
§ Mr. Raynsford:Grant support to local authorities covers on average some 75 per cent. of their costs. The balance is funded through council tax. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister seeks to ensure that where new burdens are placed on councils by central government they are fully funded through the grant system.
§ Helen Jackson:To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) when he will finish his review of local government funding following the Audit Commission report; [143933]
(2) what options he is examining to address the fundamental flaws mentioned in the Audit Commission review of local government funding. [143972]
§ Mr. Raynsford:The Government's Balance of Funding Review, which I chair, is looking at how local government should be funded in future. It is taking evidence on a number of proposals for change identified in responses to the Review's public consultation. The Review is due to produce a final report of its work in summer 2004.