‘Fair deal’ is urged for county

For nine years running, the county council has received what has been described as the ‘worst possible’ grant settlement.

Michael Brown (Con, Fernhurst), its cabinet member for finance and resources, told members on Friday that after a meeting with local government minister Bob Neill he was now ‘mildly optimistic’ that something might at long last come which benefited West Sussex.

Mr Brown, who met the minister along with MPs Andrew Tyrie and Peter Bottomley, said a number of ‘political questions’ were put to him.

One of these was if the formula used to distribute money across the country was fair and equitable, why did it give rise to such startlingly different answers in identical locations.

East and West Sussex had almost identical populations, almost the same ethnic composition, and well developed coastal urban strips backed up by weald and agricultural hinterland.

“They are almost sister authorities, but in the case of East Sussex the Government gives £216m to help them discharge their duties as a county, and it gives us in West Sussex £140m - a £76m difference,” said Mr Brown.

“The question to the minister was ‘tell us the stark differences between the two which means they are worth £76m more than us’.”

Another question referred to the question of ministerial discretion.

Under the previous Government, the grant shrank for a period of ten years in the South East in general and West Sussex in particular. It grew year on year in the West Midlands and the north of England.

The point made was whether the minister would begin the process of repatriating at least some of the money to this part of the country.

Mr Brown said the minister undertook to ask his officials to examine the questions with a degree of urgency, and to come back in writing.