Responding to the Spending Review and Autumn Budget, Cllr James
Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:
“We are pleased that today’s Spending Review has provided new
government grant funding for councils over the next three years
to support vital local services. This will help meet some – but
not all - of the extra cost and demand pressures they face just
to provide services at today’s levels.
“Capital investment in skills, transport, housebuilding, and the
provision of school places for children with special educational
needs and disabilities (SEND) announced today are positive. It is
also good that the Government will provide additional funding to
help councils continue their ongoing efforts to support people at
risk of rough sleeping and homelessness and to fix potholes and
improve our local roads.
“It is disappointing that the Chancellor has not provided
additional funding to address existing pressures on adult social
care services and not increased public health funding. We remain
concerned that the money allocated to social care from the Health
and Care Levy will be insufficient to fund reforms. The potential
rise in local government core spending power over the next three
years will also be dependent on councils increasing council tax
by 3 per cent per annum.
“Investing in local places is one of the most powerful tools of
the Government’s levelling up agenda. With adequate long-term
resources and freedoms, councils can deliver world-class local
services for our communities, tackle the climate emergency, and
ensure all parts of the country are able to prosper in the
future.
“We continue to analyse the detail of today’s announcements.
Councils will be looking for clarity and certainty over the
future of local government funding reforms and that this
three-year Spending Review is reflected in a three-year
settlement for local government.”
