asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, for the purposes of the distribution of rate support grant, a person who is placed in residential accommodation outside the boundaries of the authority which has financial responsibility for him is deemed to reside in that authority or in the authority in which the residential home is situated;(2) whether, for the purposes of the distribution of rate support grant, a person who is placed in a hospital outside the boundaries of the authority which would have financial responsibility for him, were he discharged, is deemed to reside in that authority or in the authority in which the hospital is situated.

For rate support grant purposes the population of each authority's area is estimated and certified by the Registrar General. In making his estimates the Registrar General has regard to the Population Census figures and subsequent variations in the electoral registers for each authority.