asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how the weights of the additional factors (c), (h), (i) and (j) in Schedule 1 to the Rate Support Grant Order 1976 were adjusted to provide the damping effect achieved for 1976–77 by additional factor (i) in Schedule 1 to the Rate Support Grant Order 1975.

I will write to the hon. Member.

(i) House improvements and conversion	…	…	£4,670,000
(ii) Municipalisation	…	…	£1,420,000
(iii) Private sector improvement grants	…	…	£350,000
Loans for house purchase	…	…	£1,282,000, of which £398,000 is the council's direct lending quota and £884,000 is to be the building society replacement lending scheme.

All these allocations, except (iv), take into account provisional estimates submitted by the council and should enable it to undertake most of its previously planned programme. The allocation for improvements and conversion is some 40 per cent. greater than the 1976–77 expenditure, although nationally allocations have to be reduced.The Department will be having further discussions with the council about cash limits for certain other programmes of housing expenditure, but at present there is no reason to doubt that it will be able to carry out its planned programme of new housing starts for 1977–78. Under the proposed system of housing investment programmes, announced by my right hon. Friend on 4th March, it will be for the council to present coherent proposals for housing investment having regard to the particular needs of its area, and future allocations will so far as possible be determined both by reference to these programmes and London's needs generally.