asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make allowances for increased staff required by local authority housing departments, which are undertaking substantial housing programmes, to manage additional estates as they come into use, notwithstanding the ceilings he has placed on local authority staff recruitment.

Authorities have been advised that there is no scope for increased expenditure in real terms in 1976–77. Within this overall restraint on expenditure it must be for each authority to make its own arrangements regarding staff numbers and deployment.