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Student Allowances
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will publish full details of student allowances for session 1990-91.
Mr. Lang : I announced the main rates of student grant for the 1990- 91 academic year on 19 December 1989 at columns 147-48 and I announced the new provisions for disabled students on 19 March at columns 450-51.
I am publishing today the remaining supplementary grant rates for 1990-91 and full details have been placed in
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the Library. The increases in these rates are broadly in line with the 5 per cent. increase in the main rates, previously announced.Consultancies
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts ; excluding hardware and software purchases ; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment ; and what is the total amount that his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.
Mr. Rifkind [holding answer 28 March 1990] : Estimated expenditure on management consultancies and computer consultancies in the 1989-90 and 1990-91 financial years is, in rounded terms, as follows :
£'000 |Management|Computer -------------------------------------------- 1989-90 |300 |675 1990-91 |400 |725
The contracts awarded by my Department in 1989-90 are as follows : Management Consultancies and Subject of Assignment
A Fegent--HBM Procurement.
Touche Ross--Health Education Review.
Peat, Marwick McLintock--Lothian Health Board.
Coopers and Lybrand--HBM Executive Agency proposals.
A Fegent--Overview of Scottish Office Purchasing.
Price Warehouse--Creche facilities.
British Institute of Management--Network analysis on probation court services and parole.
Peat, Marwick McLintock--Further Education development planning. Edinburgh University--Interpretation of a new statistical method. CSL Group Ltd-- Financial Regulations for School Boards.
Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte--Education Finance.
Computer Consultancies--Subject of Assignment
Gimms Ltd--Feasibility study on digital boundary conversion. DWH Associates --Advice on survey of geographical data.
Know Edge Ltd--Feasibility study on incorporating environmental data into roads database.
North West Regional Research Laboratory--Feasibility study on mapping application.
BIS Applied Systems Ltd--Quality management workshops.
Logica UK Ltd--Production of Scottish aspects for the National Response Plan (RIMNET).
BIS Applied Systems Ltd--To review aspects of Scottish Criminal Record Office computer system.
PA Consulting Group Computers and Telecommunications--Automatic Fingerprint Recognition System.
Gimms (GIS) Ltd (2 contracts)--Digital mapping.
Purchasing and Supply Consultants--Purchasing Operating and Information Systems.
Edinburgh University Computing Service--Digital mapping. Dunsmore Data-- Preparation and implementation of financial spreadsheet.
CS Consultants--Programming various data systems. Preparation of roads database.
Taylor Woodrow Management and Engineering Ltd--Specification for and running of Scottish Office Emergency Exercise.
Napier Polytechnic--Computing requirements and staff training. Price Waterhouse--Management information systems in grant-aided colleges.
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ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will calculate the amount payable by a man on average earnings living in a house valued at £60,000 under a system of local government finance based on capital values rates with a local income tax element based on Kirklees council's projected spending in 1989-90 and 1990-91 ; and what the figures would have been for a woman on average earnings in similar circumstances.
Mr. Chope : The amount payable would depend on the precise detail of how such a system would operate and on the taxable income of the individuals.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secetary of State for the Environment what is the Government's estimate of the number of households who pay the full rate who would gain under the poll tax ; and what is their estimate of the average gain in such cases.
Mr. Chope : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29 March 1990, Official Report, Vol. 170, column 247.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the estimated numbers in each sample category of people paying more poll tax than rates, together with the Government's estimate of their contribution under the present system and the amount which the Government considered they ought to pay.
Mr. Chope : The Government have not prescribed an amount that people ought to pay.
An analysis of the distributional impact of the introduction of the community charge was placed in the Library on 15 February.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing in each case the assumed underlying long-run community charge per adult as a percentage of average earnings in the northern region and the south-east for full-time adult male manual workers in the year to April 1989, together with an explanation for the difference.
Mr. Chope : The assumed long-run community charge used for 1990-91 revenue support grant purposes, expressed as an amount per week, represents 2.9 per cent. of average full-time earnings at April 1989 for male manual employees on adult rates of pay in the Northern region and 2.2 per cent. of the equivalent figure in the south-east including Greater London.
The assumed personal community charge, which reflects the transitional arrangements for 1990-91, expressed as an amount per week, represents 2.4 per cent. of average full-time earnings at April 1989 for male manual employees on adult rates of pay in the Northern region and 2.3 per cent. of the equivalent figure in the south-east including Greater London.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received from members of the public (a) supporting and (b) opposing the poll tax.
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Mr. Chope : I have received and continue to receive many representations on the community charge reflecting a wide range of views.Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment if he will update the figures put in the Library on 6 November 1989 showing, for each local authority area, what level of (i) capital value rates and (ii) local income tax would be required in order to raise the same amount of revenue as with the 1990-91 community charge.
Mr. David Hunt : I have today placed in the Library a table showing the information requested.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a table showing for each rating or charging authority (a) his estimate of the average rate bill per domestic ratepayer in 1989-90, (b) the information he has on the average personal community charge actually set in each area in 1990-91, (c) the percentage domestic rate increase which would have taken place in 1990-91 if the same amount of revenue had been raised in each area as is being raised in community charges and (d) the rate bill per domestic ratepayer in each area consequent upon that increase in domestic rates.
Mr. David Hunt : I have today placed in the Library a table showing the information requested.
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities now known to him which have announced their intention to levy a standard community charge at less than twice the personal community charge.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 3 April 1990] : I have not yet gathered the information requested except on an informal basis from a few authorities on a basis which did not imply that it would be published.
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration was given in calculating standard spending assessment and grant to Westminster city council to the daily population figure ; and if he will set out the sum thereby arrived at.
Mr. Chris Patten [holding answer 2 April 1990] : Standard spending assessments and revenue support grant entitlements are calculated in the same way for all local authorities. The basis of calculation is set out in the revenue support grant distribution report approved by this House on 18 January. Resident population, adjusted for visitors and for the net inflow of commuters, features in the SSA element for all other services ; resident population features in the SSA for fire and civil defence ; and resident population adjusted for the net inflow of commuters features in the SSA for highway maintenance. There is thus no single daily population figure used in the calculation for Westminster city council.
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider the standard spending assessment for Brighton and other holiday and conference resorts.
Mr. Chris Patten [holding answer 2 April 1990] : I have made it clear that I am willing to consider any new evidence on standard spending assessments with a view to making changes for 1991-92 if that should prove necessary.
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Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table in the Official Report setting out for each council the impact on its standard spending assessment arising from new duties under the Environmental Protection Bill and the Food Safety Bill [Lords].
Mr. Chris Patten [holding answer 2 April 1990] : Duties under these bills will not affect local authority spending in 1990-91. New duties will be taken into account in setting standard spending assessments for 1991-92.
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the authorities which benefited in their standard spending assessment and revenue grant allocation from a consideration of the impact of daily population increases.
Mr. Chris Patten [holding answer 2 April 1990] : The basis of calculation of standard spending assessments and revenue support grant entitlements is set out in the revenue support grant distribution report (England). Resident population adjusted for daily visitors and for the net inflow of commuters features in the assessment for all other services. All authorities receive a positive contribution to their SSAs from the allowance for visitors. The authorities listed in the table receive a positive contribution to their SSAs from the allowance for net inflow of commuters. The latter also features in the SSA element for highway maintenance.
Authorities with positive day time net inflow
Alnwick
Ashfield
Avon CC
Barking and Dagenham
Barrow in Furness
Bassetlaw
Bath
Birmingham
Blackburn
Boston
Bournemouth
Brighton
Bristol
Burnley
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire CC
Camden
Carlisle
Carrick
Cheltenham
Chester
Chesterfield
Christchurch
City of London
Cleveland CC
Colchester
Copeland
Coventry
Crawley
Crewe and Nantwich
Darlington
Derby
Devon CC
Dover
Durham
East Staffordshire
Eastbourne
Ellesmere Port and Neston
Exeter
Forest Heath
Fylde
Gloucester
Great Grimsby
Great Yarmouth
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