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Conservative local government family welcomes £500m cash boost for councils
24 January 2024
The leaders of the Conservative local government family have today welcomed the additional financial support for local authorities, including a £500m cash boost for councils with responsibility for adult social care and children’s services.
Statement from Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of the LGA Conservative Group, following the publication of the Local Government Finance Settlement
18 December 2023
Responding to the publication of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, Cllr Kevin Bentley, Leader of the LGA Conservative Group, said:
"The 6.5 per cent increase in funding will help to mitigate some of the pressures that councils are facing, and we welcome the announcements in relation to the Rural Services Delivery Grant and the New Homes Bonus, but the reality is that overall this settlement falls short of the level of support that the sector needs and which the LGA has lobbied for on a cross-party basis.
"It fails to address the problems that all councils are facing, most obviously in relation to inflation and increases in the National Living Wage, as well as the specific challenges in areas such as adult social care, children's services and housing and homelessness.
"Over the past decade, councils have worked hard to identify savings and reduce costs, including through partnership working and shared services between groups of councils and through collaboration with public sector partners. Whilst opportunities to find further efficiencies and savings will continue to arise, particularly through new technology, the reality is that the low hanging fruit has already been picked.
"Councils across the country now face the prospect of having to make reductions to valued local services whilst simultaneously increasing council tax.
"With the final settlement due to be published in February, I urge all councils to fully engage with the consultation process and clearly spell out what this settlement would mean for them and their communities."
Press releases - 2023
- LGA Conservatives to ‘beef up’ member peer application process to meet the new challenges of the day faced by local government - 23 October 2023
- Governments plan to cut planning red tape is a thumbs up to turbocharging housing delivery - 29 August 2023
- New leadership of the LGA Conservative Group backs Secretary of State’s plan to streamline funding to local government
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