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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to set out a long-term funding plan for local authorities.

Our primary aim during the COVID-19 pandemic has been to continue to support councils in dealing with the immediate impacts and in promoting recovery and renewal at local level; and also to support and maintain critical mainstream services.

We have done this by directing resources to the highest priority areas; by ensuring that we offer as much stability as we can through our approach to funding allocations, within the time horizons of a one-year Spending Review; by giving councils increased flexibility in balancing the contribution of national and local taxpayers in funding local services; and by being measured and realistic in our ambitions for future funding reform.

The Government recognises the importance of providing local authorities with longer-term clarity to enable their forward planning. Decisions about funding beyond this financial year will be made at the Spending Review later this year