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Local Government (Grant)
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the level of Government grant to each metropolitan authority and London borough in the current financial year. [13478]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Metropolitan authorities and London boroughs have reported the following amounts of central Government grants in 1997-98.
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(24) Grants inside AEF include Specific and Special grants inside AEF, SSA Reduction Grant and Revenue Support Grant.
(25) Specific and Special Grants outside AEF.
(26) Total Specific and Special Grants inside and outside AEF.
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Cabinet Committee on the Environment
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Cabinet Committee on the Environment last met. [13514]
Mr. Prescott: Details of proceedings of Cabinet committees are not published, in accordance with the second exemption of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Cycling
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the actions taken by his Department since 1 May to increase provisions for cyclists and increase cycle use. [13503]
Ms Glenda Jackson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 October 1997, Official Report, columns 723-24.
Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the number of cycles in the United Kingdom and the distance travelled yearly by them in each of the past five years. [13669]
Ms Glenda Jackson: Figures (shown below) are only available for Great Britain. The number of household bicycles is estimated using the National Travel Survey, and the distance travelled is estimated from the Road Traffic Census. No estimates of the distance cycled off-road are available.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of bicycles (millions) | 15.6 | 15.7 | 16.3 | 17.4 | 18.3 |
| Distance travelled (billion kilometres) | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the total mileage, for each London borough, of existing dedicated cycle routes and the distance planned for 1998-99; and when he expects the planned 1,000 mile route system in London to be completed. [13670]
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Ms Glenda Jackson:
The 1,500 mile London Cycle Network (LCN) being developed by the 33 London boroughs, with financial support from the Government, comprises dedicated routes, shared routes and signed routes along lightly trafficked roads. A summary table showing miles of existing and planned LCN routes by borough, which includes dedicated routes, is set out below, but specific information on dedicated routes is not held centrally. Approximately one third of the network has been implemented and it will be completed as resources allow.
| Authority | Existing length (miles) at April 1997 | Planned (miles) 1997-98 | Planned (miles) 1998-99(27) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 19.8 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
| Barnet | 23.1 | 6.8 | 0.0 |
| Bexley | 8.3 | 9.9 | 8.1 |
| Brent | 13.8 | 3.7 | 20.5 |
| Bromley | 35.8 | 7.5 | 17.4 |
| Camden | 11.2 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
| City of London | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Croydon | 20.0 | 9.9 | 6.8 |
| Ealing | 40.6 | 3.7 | 3.1 |
| Enfield | 10.5 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Greenwich | 19.8 | 6.2 | 0.6 |
| Hackney | 11.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 21.4 | 5.0 | 4.3 |
| Haringey | 12.8 | 0.6 | 6.8 |
| Harrow | 2.0 | 3.1 | 6.2 |
| Havering | 5.1 | 2.5 | 4.4 |
| Hillingdon | 33.8 | 10.6 | 11.8 |
| Hounslow | 30.9 | 6.8 | 12.4 |
| Islington | 11.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 5.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 25.9 | 5.0 | 3.1 |
| Lambeth | 4.7 | 6.2 | 1.9 |
| Lewisham | 8.4 | 1.9 | 4.3 |
| Merton | 15.0 | 3.7 | 6.8 |
| Newham | 1.9 | 13.7 | 19.3 |
| Redbridge | 17.2 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Richmond | 40.6 | 9.3 | 6.8 |
| Southwark | 14.0 | 6.2 | 0.0 |
| Sutton | 18.6 | 0.6 | 6.2 |
| Tower Hamlets | 13.4 | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| Waltham Forest | 22.9 | 6.2 | 9.3 |
| Wandsworth | 36.8 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| Westminster | 7.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Totals | 564.30 | 145.80 | 185.00 |
(27) Dependent on availability of funding. In addition there are 8.6 miles of Thames Cycle Route to be introduced by a number of boroughs in 1997-98 and a further 12.4 miles in 1998-99.
Standard Spending Assessment (Review)
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the independent review of the standard spending assessment; and when the report will be published. [13393]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Department has not set up an independent review of standard spending assessments. The calculation of standard spending assessments is regularly discussed with the Local Government Association in the Standard Spending Assessments Sub-group. In addition, the review of local government finance, which is being carried out in consultation with the Local Government Association, is considering the role
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of needs assessment in the allocation of central government grant to local authorities. I expect this part of the review to report next spring.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the level of Government revenue support grant allocated to each metropolitan and London authority for each child in local authority care; [13873]
(3) if he will list the average level of grant per child received by each authority for the provision of primary and secondary school education. [13875]
(4) if he will list the average rate of grant per head received by each authority for the care of elderly persons in each local authority. [13876]
Mr. Raynsford:
Revenue Support Grant is paid to authorities in support of their general revenues. It is not allocated for particular purposes.
Grants specific to particular kinds of expenditure are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Education and Employment and for Health.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if standard spending assessments will continue to be used as the primary basis for capping; what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of using SSA as a basis for measurement; and what proposals he has to facilitate better long-term planning by local authorities in respect of capping. [13896]
Mr. Raynsford:
We are committed to ending crude and universal capping as soon as possible. We announced in July a review of local government finance which, among other things, will help to put in place the changes needed to deliver that commitment. In the meantime, capping will remain in place in 1998-99 and capping guidelines will be announced shortly.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy that future years capital financing standard spending assessments will reflect the true cost of financing capital schemes. [13897]
Mr. Raynsford:
We are considering a range of possible changes for next year to make the SSAs fairer. We shall do as much as is compatible with our commitments on public expenditure.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take into account in his SSA review the problems of local authorities with a low tax base. [14198]
Mr. Raynsford:
The Review of Local Government Finance is considering, among other things, the way in which the Revenue Support Grant takes account of the needs and taxbase of authorities.
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Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years the amounts of capital receipts which (a) have been released and (b) are planned to be released by each local authority. [13026]
Mr. Raynsford:
Under the Capital Receipts Initiative, the Government will begin to release additional resources to local authorities to meet pressing housing need. Copies of individual authorities' illustrative entitlements in 1997-98 and 1998-99 have been placed in the Library.
(2) if he will list the level of grant allocated to each local authority for the care of the elderly. [13874]
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