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Flintshire (Financial Assistance)
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage was allowed for sparsity in his first allocations of money to the county of Flintshire. [6283]
Mr. Gwilym Jones: Central Government support for local authority revenue expenditure is calculated by reference to standard spending assessments. The formula includes indicators to reflect the additional needs associated with sparsity and these account for 2 per cent. of Flintshire's total assessments for 1996-97.
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Support for capital expenditure is provided by way of credit approvals. The distribution of basic credit approvals is made according to a formula that includes an element for high levels of sparsity, but this did not contribute to Flintshire's allocation for 1996-97.
Police
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to review the area cost adjustment for police authorities, indicating their net effect on (a) the income and (b) the number of uniformed officers in the Welsh police authorities. [5768]
Mr. Hague: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced in the House today that the Government have decided not to implement the recommendations of the review of the area cost adjustment for 1997-98. In coming to this decision, he took account of the concerns of local government on aspects of the report's findings.
My right hon. Friend proposes to consult local government on what further work needs to be undertaken to address concerns.
Sir Wyn Roberts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his proposals for police authority revenue spending in 1997-98. [6887]
Mr. Hague:
I propose to make £340.6 million available from total standard spending in Wales to fund police services in 1997-98. This sum comprises £171 million in cash-limited police grant to be paid by my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and £169.6 million in standard spending assessments. It represents an overall increase of £8.9 million, or 2.7 per cent. on 1996-97. The sums for each police authority are set out in the following table:
| Police grant | Standard spending assessment | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyfed-Powys | 25.2 | 24.6 | 49.8 |
| Gwent | 32.4 | 32.1 | 64.5 |
| North Wales | 35.7 | 35.5 | 71.2 |
| South Wales | 77.7 | 77.4 | 155.1 |
In addition, Dyfed-Powys police authority will receive £0.2 million in reduction grant to damp the effect on council taxpayers in its area of a reduction of over 2 per cent. in its police grant and SSA allocations resulting from methodology changes in the police funding formula. The reduction grant will supplement the authority's revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rate entitlement in support of its spending. It does not increase the authority's spending power.
My Department is today writing to each of the police authorities in Wales to consult them on their provisional standard spending assessment for 1997-98. The figures may alter slightly if the balance of the police funding formula as between English and Welsh police authorities changes as a result of consultation.
It is essential that police authorities budget wisely and do not impose an unreasonable burden on council taxpayers. I therefore propose provisional capping
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principles to inform their budget decisions. Police authorities would not be capped if their budget requirements for 1997-98 were:
I am still considering my capping proposals for local authorities in Wales. I propose to announce provisional capping principles and standard spending assessments for these authorities in the week commencing 9 December.
Copies of the consultation letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessments have been undertaken by his Department on the relationship between poverty and premature death in Wales. [5951]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
My Department has not made any specific assessment on this relationship. There is already a considerable body of scientific evidence to suggest an association between socio-economic classification and mortality, although it is not clear whether it is low income or other associated factors such as smoking, poor housing or poor diet which are more important.
Health authorities are responsible for the health of the populations of their respective areas.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) cases of and (b) deaths from the malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been recorded in Wales in each of the last five years, and if he will make a statement. [6223]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The latest available information is given in the following table:
I will make my final decisions on capping principles in the light of budgets set by police authorities.
less than 12.5 per cent. above the sum of the authority's standard spending assessment and police grant; and
did not exceed their 1996-97 budget by more than the greater of the sum of the increases in their standard spending assessment and police grant or 3.2 per cent. excluding the sum of £3.2 million which the Home Secretary is providing through police grant for additional police officers.
| Cases registered as newly diagnosed | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 269 | 166 |
| 1987 | 358 | 177 |
| 1988 | 375 | 213 |
| 1989 | 365 | 210 |
| 1990 | 355 | 210 |
| 1991 | (11)-- | 208 |
| 1992 | (11)-- | 205 |
| 1993 | (11)-- | 235 |
| 1994 | (11)-- | 203 |
| 1995 | (11)-- | 207 |
(10) Lymphosarcoma and reticulosarcoma (CD 200) and other malignant neoplasm of lymphoid and histiocytic (ICD 202).
(11) Not yet available.
27 Nov 1996 : Column: 259
Local Government Finance
Sir Wyn Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of aggregate external finance towards Welsh local authority revenue spending he proposes to provide for 1997-98. [6886]
Mr. Hague: On 26 November, I announced that I propose to set total standard spending in Wales for 1997-98 at £2,931.1 million; and central Government support for that level of spending through aggregate external finance at £2,577.7 million.
Within aggregate external fiance, I propose to make available £1,749.4 million in revenue support grant and council tax reduction grant; £584 million in distributable non-domestic rates; and £244.3 million in specific grants.
My Department has today written to the Welsh Local Government Association to consult it on my proposals for revenue support grant in 1997-98.
Copies of the consultation letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Sir Wyn Roberts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the statutory powers available to local authorities to provide community alarm schemes for their residents. [6888]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The benefit that community alarm schemes can bring is clear. The power to summon assistance quickly and easily provides a sense of security. In the light of concerns expressed about the statutory basis on which local authorities may operate such schemes, the Welsh Office today published a consultation paper entitled "Local Authorities and Community Alarm Schemes". The paper seeks views on extending local authorities' powers to enable them to expand the service to any local resident. It examines the present statutory framework and outlines the Government's preliminary view that local authorities' role in the provision of community alarms should be extended to allow them to provide, and charge for, this service to anyone resident in their area.
If the Government were to conclude in the light of comments that this wider role should be given to local authorities, their intention would be to legislate to that effect at the next opportunity.
Copies of the consultation paper will be placed in the Library of the House. Copies are being sent to the Welsh Local Government Association and local authorities which are being invited to respond by 16 January 1997.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to announce the outcome of the review of the operation of public interest certificates; and if he will make a statement. [5439]
The Attorney-General:
I expect to announce the outcome of the review shortly.
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Mr. Beggs:
To ask the Attorney-General if he will recommend to the Gibraltarian Government that proceedings to complete the liquidation of International Investments Ltd. Gibraltar should be deferred until such time as extradition warrants in respect of George Finbar Ross have been executed. [5846]
The Attorney-General:
No. I am not aware of any reason for doing so.
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