Briefings and responses

The LGA welcomes the Gambling Related Harm APPG’s inquiry on the Gambling Act Review White Paper. However, we wanted to share some broader reflections on the white paper which we hope will be of assistance to the inquiry.

Read our Spring Budget on-the-day briefing

Key briefing and summary points for local government on the Local Government Finance Bill.

The LGA has been working closely with Government on behalf of all councils to highlight the financial challenges they are facing over the Spending Review period.

The briefing covers the consultation on the local government finance settlement for 2017/18 and indicative settlements for 2018/19 and 2019/20.

The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the technical consultation on the 2017/18 local government finance settlement.

In October 2023, before the Government announced an additional £600 million in funding for the sector, the LGA estimated that councils in England faced a funding gap of £4 billion. Councils’ financial pressures and needs must be seen in the context of the huge contribution that councils already make and of their potential to do more to support the delivery of public services.

All parts of local government – counties, districts, London Boroughs, metropolitan areas and unitary authorities – have a key role helping to generate economic growth, build homes with relevant services and infrastructure, strengthen communities, and protect vulnerable people in all parts of the country.

Our latest analysis demonstrates that homelessness support (including temporary accommodation) faces a funding gap of £110 million in 2019/20, and £421 million in 2024/25. There are currently 83,700 homeless households in need of temporary accommodation and other forms of support from local authorities.

The Government’s approach to give local Employer Representative Bodies a lead role in articulating their skills need in Local Skills Improvement Plans is a step in the right direction. However, the wide-ranging role of local government – councils and MCAs/GLA – in supporting this process is missing from the Act and statutory guidance.