To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which boroughs in London have made claims to his Department for the refund of community charge benefit; and in respect of how many people in each borough such a claim has been made.

All local authorities are currently receiving monthly payments of subsidy from the Department based on their estimated 1990–91 expenditure on community charge benefit. It is largely a matter for local authorities to determine the basis for such estimates. At the end of the financial year each authority is required to make a final claim for subsidy based on the actual outturn expenditure on community charge benefit. Any difference in subsidy between the estimated claim and the final claim is adjusted accordingly.Information about numbers receiving benefit is collected independently from the subsidy information. Returns of the numbers receiving community charge benefit on 31 May have not yet been received from all London boroughs.