Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how her Department is coordinating with the Department for Health and Social Care and the Treasury to ensure councils affected by high needs and social care deficits can plan before March 2026, when the statutory deficit override ends.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This government recognises the pressures local authorities are facing because of their Dedicated School Grant (DSG) deficits. As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation published on 20 June, the government announced an extension to the DSG Statutory Override, currently due to end in March 2026, until the end of 2027-28. This extension is part of a phased transition to a reformed Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The Department for Education Spending Review settlement confirmed funding for SEND reform, details of which will be set out in a White Paper in the autumn. As part of this transition, the government will provide more detail by the end of the year on the plan for supporting local authorities with both historic and accruing deficits. We will set out more detail at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assumptions her Department made of how councils would allocate additional funding raised through (a) council tax and (b) the social care precept when calculating the level of funding provided for adult social care in the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement.
Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons.
Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August.
We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of new funding for (a) adult and (b) children’s social care set out in the Spending Review 2025 will be allocated via (i) existing grant funding streams and (ii) new direct allocations to local authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement.
Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons.
Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August.
We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when local authorities will receive the first instalment of social care funding announced in the Spending Review 2025: and whether this funding will be subject to (a) accountability measures, (b) ring-fencing and (c) monitoring.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement.
Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons.
Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August.
We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, when the funding for social care will be allocated to local authorities.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028–29 compared to 2025–26. This includes additional grant funding, growth in other sources of income available to support adult social care, and an increase to the NHS’s contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC’s Spending Review settlement.
Council tax levels and the resulting income for services are decided by local authorities each year. The government maintains a referendum threshold so that voters can have the final say over excessive increases. The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain a 3% referendum threshold, with an additional 2% for the adult social care precept, continuing the policy of the previous government. This will be subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons.
Local Authorities with responsibility for Adult Social Care will also benefit from wider reforms to better align funding with need, multi-year settlements and simplification of the local government funding landscape. My department is currently consulting on these proposals as part of Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation which runs from 20 June to 15 August.
We will work together with local government to ensure that the funding available for adult social care supports delivery of priority adult social care outcomes. Further details on funding allocations and assurance arrangements will be provided at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year. The provisional Settlement will be subject to consultation, as in previous years.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60599 on Neighbourhood Plans, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to end the commissioning of new neighbourhood planning support services on the ability of (a) town and (b) parish councils to develop neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As part of the Spending Review we’ve looked at all the services and programmes the government supports to identify those that should now be in a position to support themselves without ongoing funding. After more than a decade of taxpayer support, we believe that support for neighbourhood planning groups should be possible without further government funding. Parish and Town Councils have access to their own resources which they can choose to use for neighbourhood planning if they wish. With the end to the national structure for support, planning consultants should be able to innovate and offer groups lower cost support more targeted at their particular ambitions and needs.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) local communities and (b) town and parish councils can shape development and growth in their local areas.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.
Locality were informed of the decision and set it out on the official neighbourhood planning website, where announcements regarding the availability neighbourhood planning support have historically been made, thereby ensuring that neighbourhood planning groups and local planning authorities were made aware.
Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.
We will ensure that local planning authorities continue to be appropriately funded for their neighbourhood planning function, including funding for neighbourhood planning examinations.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has informed Locality that the Government will not be commissioning new neighbourhood planning support services in the current financial year.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.
Locality were informed of the decision and set it out on the official neighbourhood planning website, where announcements regarding the availability neighbourhood planning support have historically been made, thereby ensuring that neighbourhood planning groups and local planning authorities were made aware.
Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.
We will ensure that local planning authorities continue to be appropriately funded for their neighbourhood planning function, including funding for neighbourhood planning examinations.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to inform local authorities of changes to (a) neighbourhood planning support and (b) associated funding.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.
Locality were informed of the decision and set it out on the official neighbourhood planning website, where announcements regarding the availability neighbourhood planning support have historically been made, thereby ensuring that neighbourhood planning groups and local planning authorities were made aware.
Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.
We will ensure that local planning authorities continue to be appropriately funded for their neighbourhood planning function, including funding for neighbourhood planning examinations.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department plans to provide local authorities for the examination of neighbourhood plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.
Locality were informed of the decision and set it out on the official neighbourhood planning website, where announcements regarding the availability neighbourhood planning support have historically been made, thereby ensuring that neighbourhood planning groups and local planning authorities were made aware.
Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.
We will ensure that local planning authorities continue to be appropriately funded for their neighbourhood planning function, including funding for neighbourhood planning examinations.
The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.