Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the application of restraint by councils in setting precepts.

Council tax levels are for local authorities to decide, taking into account local taxpayers, public sector services and electoral decisions. The Government determines referendum thresholds each year for most types of authority to protect council tax payers from excessive increases. In determining the thresholds the Government takes into account increases set in previous years. Data on the council tax levels set by local authorities for 2023-24 is available here. Data on town and parish precepts will be published in due course.