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Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were living in bed and breakfast accommodation in each of the London boroughs on 1 November. [18582]

Mr. Raynsford: Information is published on households accommodated under statutory homelessness provisions in a quarterly Information Bulletin, "Statistics of local authority activities under the homelessness legislation: England". The Bulletin includes a table on homeless households temporarily accommodated and this identifies those in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Copies of the Bulletin are in the Library and the latest provides statistics for the second quarter of 1997.

Low Pay

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list, by regions defined by the boundaries of the regional government offices, the lowest hourly rate paid by his Department to (a) full-time employees, (b) part-time employees, (c) persons employed under personal contract and (d) persons employed by firms undertaking contracted-out services for central government offices, defining the job title in each case. [18115]

Angela Eagle: In London, the lowest rate paid by the Department to full-time employees is £4.39 an hour. £3.17 per hour is the lowest hourly rate paid in the English regions, by a Departmental Agency.

Part-time and full-time staff are paid the same hourly rates.

2 Dec 1997 : Column: 112

The Department employs relatively few people who are on personal contracts. The lowest rate is £3.25 an hour, in an English region.

The Department does not hold information on the rates of pay for persons employed by firms undertaking contracted-out services. This is a matter for the companies concerned.

Local Government Finance

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list (1) for each class of authority and (2) for each individual local authority and Police authority in England (a) 1998-99 standard spending assessments in total and by major service block, (b) changes in standard spending assessments in total and by major service block, between 1997-98 and 1998-99, expressed in (i) monetary and (ii) percentage terms, (c) changes in standard spending assessments in total and by major service block, between 1997-98 and 1998-99, expressed (i) in monetary and (ii) percentage terms and adjusted to take account of changes in local authority functions and responsibilities (d) resident population, (e) tax base, (f) standard spending assessment, (g) standard tax income, (h) business rate income, (i) revenue support grant, (j) standard spending assessment reduction grant and (k) total external support, for 1998-99; [18632]

(2) what is the (a) total standard spending assessment and Police grant and (b) total external support including revenue support, non-domestic rates, standard spending assessment reduction grant and police grants to be received by (i) all local authorities, (ii) each class of local authority, (iii) education authorities, (iv) authorities other than Police authorities and (v) all authorities, in (1) 1998-99 and (2) 1997-98 indicating (A) the change over 1997-98 in pounds and percentages, (B) adjustments for 1997-98 for local government reorganisation and for changed local authority functions and responsibilities in 1998-99; and if he will list each such adjustment and its monetary value; [18633]

(3) what is the (a) total standard spending and (b) total aggregate external finance for (i) all local authorities and (ii) all local authorities other than Police authorities in England in (1) 1998-99 and (2) 1997-98, giving in each case (A) the change over 1997-98 in pounds and percentages and (B) adjusting 1997-98 totals for changed local authority functions and responsibilities in 1998-99, listing each adjustment and its monetary value. [18634]

Mr. Raynsford: This information will be available in the Library following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Region statement on local government finance.

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out the basis of his calculations of the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for 1998-99. [18804]

Mr. Armstrong: The distributable amount of non-domestic rates in England for 1998-99 will be £12,524 million. This is based on a non-domestic rate multiplier of 0.474 and includes an allowance of £360 million for an Exchequer payment to the non-domestic rates pool, to compensate for the shortfall which would otherwise occur as a result of the regulations

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under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to phase in the effects of the 1995 revaluation on rate bills.

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The calculation for 1998-99, and the prior-year figures on which this is based, are set out in the following table:

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National non-domestic rates--Calculation of distributable amount£ million

	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99
	final outturn	provisional outturn	provisional outturn	estimated in-year contribution
1. Income from local lists
Multiplier (p)	43.2	44.9	45.8	47.4
Gross rate yield	12,781	13,369	13,518	13,843
(i) Reliefs
(a) Net transitional relief	-731	-546	-497	-616
(b) Empty properties	-1,054	-1,014	-1,098	-1,137
(c) Charitable	-445	-482	-535	-535
(d) Discretionary	-26	-77	-181	-50
Net yield after reliefs	10,524	11,251	11,207	11,504
(ii) Collection costs/reductions to contributions
(a) Costs of collection	-75	-76	-79	-79
(b) Losses on collection	-144	-148	-154	-160
c) City of London offset	-7	-7	-7	-7
Total contribution in respect of year	10,299	11,020	10,968	11,259
(iii) Adjustments
Repayments/interest payments	-1,005	-363	-350	-426
Total adjustments	-1,005	-363	-350	-426
Net local yield	9,294	10,657	10,618	10,833
2. Income from central list
Net central list yield	1,192	1,221	1,200	1,211
3. Income from crown contributions in aid
Net crown yield	481	487	485	445
Total NDR yield	10,967	12,365	12,303	12,489
4. Exchequer contributions
Total exchequer contributions	505	429	400	360
Total NNDR pool payments (1+2+3+4)	11,472	12,794	12,703	12,849
5. Adjustments
Surplus brought forward	-1,177	-1,059	-1,002	-326
Combined total	10,295	11,734	11,701	12,524
Distributable amount	11,354	12,736	12,027	12,524
Surplus carried forward	-1,059	-1,002	-326	--

The amounts shown are those recorded in the post end-year (NNDR3) returns. For 1997-98 the amounts shown are the estimated outturn for the year based mainly upon authorities' provisional contributions to the non-domestic rating pool.

1. Item 1: The gross calculated rate yield represents the total value of non-domestic hereditaments on local rating lists times the multiplier.

2. Item 1(i)(a): The Transitional decrease adjustment includes the estimated amount of rates that will not be recouped from local list ratepayers under the transitional arrangements made by regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

3. Item 1(i)(b): the empty property relief adjustments include voids and partially occupied hereditaments. The 1998-99 figure includes an allowance for the increase in the gross rates yield.

4. Item 1(i)(c): Charitable rate relief. The 1998-99 figure includes mandatory relief for village shops under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997. As for empty property relief.

5. Item 1(i)(d): Discretionary relief granted to charities, non-profit making organisations and for other reasons including, for 1998-99, discretionary relief for village shops and other rural businesses granted under the Local Government and Rating Act 1997. As for charitable rate relief.

6. Item 1(ii)(a)&(b): The allowances for the costs and losses incurred by local authorities in collecting non-domestic rates from ratepayers.

7. Item 1(ii)(c): City Offset--the amount which the City of London will not be required to pay into the non-domestic rating pool. It is the amount which will be retained by the authority to meet its own expenditure.

8. Item 1(iii): net adjustment in respect of appeals and other amendments to the rating list affecting liability for previous years rates settled in that year.

9. Item 2: the rateable value of non-domestic hereditaments on the central rating list times the multiplier, less the net effect of transitional arrangements, and adjusted for appeals and other changes in respect of previous years.

10. Item 3: the 1998-99 figure for crown properties includes an allowance for the effect of transition.

11. Item 4: the contribution from central government to offset the amount of the Secretary of State's estimate of income forgone as a result of transitional arrangements established by regulations under section 58 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

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