Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Support for Local Authorities

Tuesday 26 January 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government have committed over 10 billion to support local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak.
  • North Warwickshire Borough Council has received more than 1 million to meet its expenditure pressures this year.
  • The council has received more funding than the expenditure pressures it has reported to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Craig Tracey Con
Economy Local Government
Context

Local authorities are facing significant fiscal challenges due to the pandemic, including loss of income and increased service demands.

Question

What fiscal steps his Department is taking to support local authorities during the covid-19 outbreak?

Answer from Steve Barclay

The Government have committed more than £10 billion to support local authorities in dealing with covid in this financial year and the next, including an unprecedented guarantee to compensate them for their income losses as a result of the pandemic.

Answered
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Q2 Craig Tracey Con
Local Government
Context

North Warwickshire Borough Council is facing a shortfall of approximately £500,000 due to lost revenue and increased service provision during the pandemic.

Question

I welcome the considerable support that has already been given to local councils during the pandemic. However, I recently had discussions with leaders of North Warwickshire Borough Council, which is an incredibly well-run council, and they are still finding a shortfall of about half a million pounds against an annual budget of £10 million, due to a mix of lost revenue and providing additional services to residents, such as extra home waste collection services. What more can be done to ensure that we give councils the full backing they need to continue providing services?

Answer from Steve Barclay

North Warwickshire has received more than £1 million to meet its expenditure pressures this year, exceeding the expenditure pressures that it has reported to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. I urge my hon. Friend to express any further concerns to MHCLG at the earliest opportunity. As he recognises, a comprehensive package of support has already been provided, and that support continues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Further financial support or measures for North Warwickshire Borough Council beyond what has already been given were not specified.

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