asked the Secrettary of State for the Environment what was the amount of rate support grant payable to the Northamptonshire county council in each of the years 1973–74 to 1978–79; what was the value of the grant in real terms related to 1973–74 prices; and what proportion of the country's total expenditure this represented in each year.

The amount paid in rate support grant to Northamptoshire

Years							Grant £	Grant expressed at 1973–74 prices	Percentage of total expenditure
							£	£
1973–74	…	…	…	…	…	…	26,792,100	26,792,100	60·82
1974–75	…	…	…	…	…	…	24,504,053	20,108,365	40·75
1975–76	…	…	…	…	…	…	32,431,627	21,425,399	35·28
1976–77	…	…	…	…	…	…	35,357,684	20,642,001	37·60
1977–78	…	…	…	…	…	…	34,671,442	18,234,691	35·53
1978–79	…	…	…	…	…	…	33,413,396	15,972,750	29·97

For the year 1973–74 these figures include the payment made to the former Northampton county borough whose major functions were transferred to the county council in the local government reorganisation in 1974; they include both the resources and needs elements of rate support grant which were payable to these authorities at that time. Since 1974–75 only the needs element is paid direct to the county council and therefore the figures shown do not include resources element.