asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total percentage of all local authority expenditure to be met by central Government grant during 1982–83 (a) in England and Wales, excluding Greater London and (b) in Greater London.

On the basis of preliminary expenditure estimates from block grant claim forms so far received block grant will meet about 30 per cent. of planned "total" expenditure—defined for block grant purposes—of London authorities in 1982–83 and about 47 per cent. of the planned total expenditure of English authorities outside London. These estimates are before any grant holdback. Grants to authorities in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.It is not possible at this early stage in the financial year to calculate local authority expenditure outside the total expenditure definition used for block grant or to estimate grants other than block grant payable to authorities.