To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with Sir Michael Lyons in the last 12 months on reform of local government finance and structures. (92998)

My right hon. Friends the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister appointed Sir Michael Lyons to undertake an independent inquiry to consider the funding, form and function of local government. His terms of reference do not include local government structures. My departmental colleagues and I have had a number of discussions with Sir Michael as he takes forward his inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government plan to continue the procedure of supplementing local government grants by an annual formula grant amending report on the basis of changes in population. (93819)

Amending reports are not a way of supplementing grants but are rather a way of retrospectively amending the distribution within a Local Government Finance Report. The total amount of grant remains the same as that distributed via the original report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 30 English local authorities had the (a) highest and (b) lowest council house rent collection rates (i) as a percentage of rent due net of benefit, (ii) as a percentage of gross rent due and (iii) as cash due in the last year for which figures are available. (91691)

Local authorities provided rent information to the Department for Communities and Local Government on the second advance claim form.

117 of stock-holding local authorities either reported zero rent arrears during 2004-05 or did not provide an estimate. A table showing the 30 English local authorities with the highest council house rent collection rate in 2004-05 as a percentage of rent due net of benefit and as a percentage of gross rent due has been placed in the Library of the House.

A table showing the 30 English local authorities with the lowest council house rent collection rates in 2004-05 as a percentage of rent due net of benefit and as a percentage of gross rent due has been placed in the Library of the House.

Figures on collection rates of cash due to local authorities are unavailable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 12 English local authorities in each class have (a) the greatest outstanding debt and (b) the greatest outstanding debt per head of population. (91693)

The following tables show which English local authorities have the greatest outstanding debt and the greatest outstanding debt per head of population at 31 March 2006:

A table showing the outstanding debt and outstanding debt per head of the principal English authorities has been placed in the Library of the house.

Local authorities with the highest levels of debt are generally those that have large holdings of fixed assets.