Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on changes in the level of public funding for children’s services since 2010.

Children’s Services is a devolved responsibility. The Scottish Government are funded through the block grant to provide children’s services in Scotland and it is their responsibility to allocate their resources as they see fit.

The Chancellor has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters. Over £200 billion is available to English councils for local services, including children’s services, up to 2019-20. There will be a real-terms increase in resources available to local government over the next two years. Spending on the most vulnerable children in England has increased by around £1 billion since 2010.