asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the latest rate support grant payment to Oldham under the old formula; what is the estimated payment under the new formula; what are the equivalent figures for the area comprised by the new Oldham metropolitan district; and how these payments compare with rate support grant payments under both the old and new formulae in the case of all other towns with a population between 100,000 and 150,000.

Rate support grants payable to the county borough of Oldham for 1973–74 following the Rate Support Grant (Increase) (No. 2) Order 1973 are:

£ million
Needs Element	5·326
Resources Element	2·404
Domestic Element	0.274

Under the proposed new formula the needs element payable to Oldham metropolitan district in 1974–75 will be £8·714 million at November 1973 prices. The resources element to be paid in 1974–75 will depend on the rates levied by the district; the 1974–75 domestic element has not yet been calculated.