Funding and support for local government from central government

Summary

That this House thanks local authorities for their leadership during the covid-19 pandemic and for the ongoing contribution of their essential workforces to communities; notes National Audit Office figures showing central Government funding for local authorities in England has been cut by 52.3 percent overall in real terms between 2010-11 and 2020-21; believes the Government should address in full the financial challenges arising from this decade of underinvestment, while tackling the enhanced financial pressures local authorities face because of extra costs, increased referrals, loss of income and cash-flow challenges associated with covid-19; further believes Ministers must take responsibility for the financial stability of local government and its ability to plan, sustain and improve community and essential frontline services such as adult and child social care, and support for older people, looked-after children, care leavers, people with disabilities or special educational needs, survivors of domestic violence and low-income families in crisis; notes recent Local Government Association analysis that social care-providing authorities are spending more than 60 percent of their outgoings on these essential care services; considers locally-led initiatives to urgently improve equality, sustainability and resilience, such as providing genuinely affordable, energy efficient homes, supporting socially necessary bus services, and transforming waste collection, should be funded nationally; considers there is an urgent need to address the pressures on local authorities now; and therefore calls on the Government to immediately provide local councils with the money to protect and restore spending on community and frontline services to sustainable levels and reset local economies.

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Timeline

1. 13 December 2021

   Early Day Motion

   That this House thanks local authorities for their leadership during the covid-19 pandemic and for the ongoing contribution of their essential workforces to communities; notes National Audit Office figures showing central Government funding for local authorities in England has been cut by 52.3 percent overall in real terms between 2010-11 and 2020-21; believes the Government should address in full the financial challenges arising from this decade of underinvestment, while tackling the enhanced financial pressures local authorities face because of extra costs, increased referrals, loss of income and cash-flow challenges associated with covid-19; further believes Ministers must take responsibility for the financial stability of local government and its ability to plan, sustain and improve community and essential frontline services such as adult and child social care, and support for older people, looked-after children, care leavers, people with disabilities or special educational needs, survivors of domestic violence and low-income families in crisis; notes recent Local Government Association analysis that social care-providing authorities are spending more than 60 percent of their outgoings on these essential care services; considers locally-led initiatives to urgently improve equality, sustainability and resilience, such as providing genuinely affordable, energy efficient homes, supporting socially necessary bus services, and transforming waste collection, should be funded nationally; considers there is an urgent need to address the pressures on local authorities now; and therefore calls on the Government to immediately provide local councils with the money to protect and restore spending on community and frontline services to sustainable levels and reset local economies.

   Source: Early Day Motion

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Sponsors

• Caroline Lucas · Green Party · Primary sponsor

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