Covid-19 Support for Local Authorities 2021-04-19
2021-04-19
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The question stems from the need to address financial pressures faced by local councils due to the pandemic.
What steps his Department is taking to support local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.
We have so far allocated over £9 billion directly to councils since the start of the pandemic and local authorities are expected to receive over £3 billion of additional support in 2021-22, responding both to expenditure pressures and loss of income. This takes the total support that we have committed to councils in England to tackle the impacts of covid-19 to over £12 billion.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses concerns over the funding provided to leisure centres in Sheffield, managed by a separate trust from the city council.
Will the Minister reassure me and residents in Sheffield that the money given to Sheffield City Council has gone properly to fund services in Sheffield and nowhere else?
I thank the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee for that question. We have provided councils with a range of support for covid pressures on local leisure services, including unring-fenced grants, income compensation and the specific national leisure recovery fund. In all cases, Sheffield will comply with the funding conditions. My expectation would be that all that funding should be used locally to support local services in Sheffield.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not provide specifics on how funds were allocated or used exclusively for Sheffield's leisure centres and did not address the concern about potential misuse of funds.
Response accuracy