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“The Government needs to use the forthcoming Spending Review to properly resource all early years settings to ensure that we can make a significant difference to the attainment gap.”

“The forthcoming Spending Review should properly resource all early years settings so that councils and providers can support the Government’s ambition to reduce the attainment gap and ensure that every child has the best start in life.”

“We have particular concerns around provision for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities if funding rates continue to fall below the cost of delivering services."

“Good quality early education can make an enormous difference to children’s lives, with around 40 per cent of the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers emerging by age 5."

Councils face an £8 billion funding gap by 2025, while an additional £1.6 billion is required in high needs funding by 2021. It is essential that Government uses the forthcoming Spending Review to address these shortfalls, and to ensure schools are adequately funded to support all children to achieve their ambitions.”

“The Government needs to act fast and work with councils if they are to boost the number of apprenticeships and drive local economic growth."

“The Government needs to go further to help schools pay for the cost of the pandemic. Unless the COVID-19 workforce fund is extended after Christmas, backdated and eligibility for it widened, more schools will have no option but to close after having spent their budgets on supply teachers, which will only serve to exacerbate growing attainment gaps.”

"This latest continuation of funding will help councils to provide much-needed support to low income households at risk of poverty and financial hardship, including being able to provide further targeted help to families entitled to Free School Meals during the summer holiday period. Councils can now plan ahead into the early autumn."

Responding to the final Local Government Finance Settlement announced today, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “We are pleased the Government has acted on our call for desperately-needed new money for councils to meet the rising cost pressures they face this year and published this final settlement quickly so councils can effectively plan how to provide local services. “Extra funding for social care this year, council-tax raising powers and the continuation of key grants confirmed today are good news and will ensure councils can help older and disabled

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, responds to the final report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill.