To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 5 February 2003, Official Report, column 314W, on local government grant formulae, what response he has made to the concerns raised by the Association of London Government in its report "The 2003–04 Local Government Finance Settlement" about the children's formula used in the local government grant formula. [101290]

I wrote to Sir Robin Wales on 24 February responding to the points raised by the Association of London Government on the 2003–04 Local Government Finance Settlement.The current formulae were reviewed openly with local government and there was a public consultation last summer.