Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to address funding shortfalls faced by local government in Devon, in the context of the local government reorganisation.

We are providing a significant boost to local authorities in England. The final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025-26, alongside funding announced at the Budget, will deliver over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above council tax. This includes an additional £2 billion of grant through the Settlement.

The final Settlement for 2025-26 therefore makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25. For Devon County Council, this makes available a total of up to £837.2 million in 2025-26. Spending decisions beyond 2025-26 are a matter for the upcoming Spending Review.