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 ensure that local government has the resources it needs to deliver vital services to children and families.

Over the five year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, councils will have access to more than £200 billion. At the Autumn Budget the Government announced over £1 billion of extra funding for local authorities, this year and next, to help them deliver the services their communities need and support their most vulnerable residents.

Funding for local government services, including services for children and families, is set at Spending Review. The Chancellor has announced that the next Spending Review will be in 2019 and decisions about the future funding of services will be taken in the round. We are working with other Government Departments and the sector both to develop a thorough understanding of services costs and pressures and to help local authorities innovate and reform services to achieve better quality and efficiency.