Local Authority Expenditure

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, for each of the last five years, what was (a) the total amount of local authority expenditure, (b) the total amount of local authority expenditure on education expressed both numerically and as a percentage of (a), (c) the total amount of local authority expenditure on social services expressed both numerically and as a percentage of (a) and (d) the rate support grant expressed both numerically and as a percentage of (a).

The following table shows the available figures:

LOCAL AUTHORITY EXPENDITURE FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
			Relevant Expenditure*					RSG†		AEG‡
			Education, Arts and Libraries		Personal Social Services		Total (all Services)	£m	% of relevant expenditure	£m	% of relevant expenditure
Year			£m Outturn prices	%	£m Outturn prices	%	£m Outturn prices
1974-75…	…	…	4,100	53	600	8	7,677	4,236	55	4,683	61
1975-76…	…	…	5,200	52	800	8	10,056	5,785	571	6,691	66½
1976-77…	…	…	5,900	53	1,000	8	11,243	6,295	56	7,304	65
1977-78…	…	…	6,300	52	1,100	9	12,124	6,470	53	7,539	62
1978-79 (provisional)		…	7,000	52	1,200	9	13,516	7,086	52	8,298	61
* Includes loan charges and capital financed from revenue only.
† Rate Support Grant proper
‡ Aggregate Exchequer Grant i.e. plus specific and supplementary grants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage of the gross national product consumed by local authorities; and what are the corresponding figures for the last five years.

The figures are as follows:

Year	Local authority final consumption¹(UK) as percentage of GNP
1974²	11.6 per cent.
1975	12.9 per cent.
1976	12.0 per cent.
1977	10.8 per cent.
1978 (1st 3 quarters)	10.3 per cent.
1978 (whole year)	10.1 per cent.
1979 (1st 3 quarters)	10.4 per cent.
(¹) current expenditure final consumption plus Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation (GDFCF)

THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS—DECEMBER 1977
Age of property occupied						Renting from local authority	Owner occupied	Renting from private landlord
Bolton
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	34	6
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	9	11	0
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	17	23	1
Bury
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	0	14	4
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	4	11	1
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	11	19	1
Manchester
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	2	28	25
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	33	22	4
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	40	7	2
Oldham
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	24	5
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	5	9	0
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	14	18	1
Rochdale
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	19	5
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	9	5	1
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	20	13	0
Salford
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	2	16	10
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	7	13	2
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	32	9	1
Stockport
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	17	6
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	3	26	3
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	18	30	2
Tameside
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	18	4
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	6	14	3
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	21	17	1
Trafford
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	0	17	8
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	4	20	3
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	13	16	1
Wigan
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	1	22	6
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	11	10	2
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	25	32	1
England^*	…	…	…	…	…	5,010	9,130	2,415
Pre-1919	…	…	…	…	…	200	2,760	1,680
1919 to 1939	…	…	…	…	…	1,190	2,350	390
Post 1939	…	…	…	…	…	3,620	4,020	345
Source: National Dwelling and Housing Survey (figures exclude households renting from Housing Associations).
^* Estimates for households renting from Local Authorities include those renting from New Towns Stockport, Tameside and Trafford where the samples were small, are subject to sampling error.

(² the re-organisation of local government in England and Wales in April 1974 resulted in the transfer of certain services (water, sewerage and health) from the local authority sector.

Source: "Economic Trends"

Volume 979: debated on Tuesday 26 February 1980