§ Mr. Alan CampbellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the(a) level of external debt and
External interest payments in Tyne and Wear by local authority £million 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–041 Gateshead 23 25 23 22 21 20 22 Newcastle upon Tyne 40 40 40 39 38 40 39 North Tyneside 16 17 17 18 19 19 18 South Tyneside n/a n/a 6 5 5 4 6 Sunderland 16 18 17 17 7 7 9 n/a = Not available. 1 Budgeted figures. Sources:
1997–98 to 2002–03 ODPM Revenue Returns.
2003–04 ODPM Budget Estimate Returns.
§ Mr. Alan CampbellTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of(a) council tax and (b) council house rents was collected in North Tyneside in each of the last five years. [164417]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe information requested is tabled as follows:
1384W
North Tyneside Financial year Percentage of council tax collected in-year1 Percentage of council house rents collected2 1998–99 91.7 99.3 1999–2000 93.8 98.4 2000–01 94.0 96.2 2001–02 95.2 96.8 2002–03 95.9 96.9 (b) annual cost of servicing that debt was in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years. [164416]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe information is as follows.
(a) The level of external debt in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows. Figures for 1998 and 1999 are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Level of external debt in Tyne and Wear by local authority at 31 March £million 1997 2000 2001 2002 2003 Gateshead 267 336 313 316 313 Newcastle upon Tyne 450 447 460 463 461 North Tyneside 1 313 203 196 177 175 Sunderland 198 220 229 173 143 1 Public Works Loan Board debt previously held by former Tyne and Wear country council has been excluded from these figures. Sources:
ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns. Public Works Loan Board.
It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those, which have undertaken capital investment, and that at long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure is currently regulated through the issue of credit approvals and, from 1 April 2004, will be subject to the Prudential System.
(b) Figures for external interest payments in each local authority in Tyne and Wear in each of the last seven years are tabled as follows:
1As reported on QRC 4 forms. Council tax collection continues after the end of the financial year to which amounts relate and so the final percentage collected is higher than the figures shown, which exclude amount for earlier years.
2 Data collected by the Audit Commission as Audit Commission or Best Value Performance Indicators.