To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value was of each grant provided by his Department, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies to (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, (b) Shropshire County Council and (c) Telford and the Wrekin Borough Council in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; and what grants have been planned for 2008-09. (184097)

Details of the grants provided for Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council and Telford and Wrekin borough council by DWP in 2006-07, 2007-08 are recorded in the following table. Figures have also been supplied for those grants that have so far been allocated for 2008-09. The grants consist of housing benefit (HB) administration subsidy and discretionary housing payments which are based on a specific formula, local housing allowance roll out, HB performance standards funding and HB Data scan funding. The table excludes benefit expenditure.

We are unable to provide information on grants supplied by the Department’s agencies and non-departmental public bodies. This information is not held centrally and is held by the bodies themselves. We are also unable to provide figures for Shropshire county council as they do not administer housing benefit therefore they receive no HB grants from DWP.