Rishi Sunak: The Government is conducting a review of the relative needs and resources of local authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels in 2020-21. We are working closely with local government representatives to consider the contributory factors of local authorities’ costs, the relative resources available to them to fund local services, and how we should account for...
Rishi Sunak: There is no requirement on local authorities to measure small business access to local authority procurement. As independent contracting authorities, local authorities are responsible for taking their own procurement decisions. While authorities are subject to the requirements of legislation and should have regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, I would strongly...
Rishi Sunak: Through the settlement, local government has been given access to £45.1 billion in 2018-19 and £45.6 billion in 2019-20. This is an overall increase since 17-18 of £1.3 billion, in recognition of increasing pressures, including demand for adult’s and children’s services. A further £150 million was made available for Adult Social Care in 2018-19, alongside the freedom to raise more...
...Henry Smith Julian Smith Royston Smith Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Gary Streeter Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Derek Thomas Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Kelly Tolhurst Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan...
...Henry Smith Julian Smith Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Derek Thomas Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Kelly Tolhurst Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan...
...Henry Smith Julian Smith Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Derek Thomas Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Kelly Tolhurst Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan...
...Henry Smith Julian Smith Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Derek Thomas Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Kelly Tolhurst Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan...
...Henry Smith Julian Smith Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Derek Thomas Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Kelly Tolhurst Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan...
Rishi Sunak: As part of our oversight of local government expenditure, this Department does consider the financial stability and service delivery of individual authorities. We keep the system under review and liaise with other departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to understand their current assessment of service pressures and aspirations. In addition, Ministers and officials...
Rishi Sunak: The management of parks and any exercise equipment within those spaces is the responsibility of each local authority. The Government does not hold data on the use or value for money of park exercise equipment. The Parks Action Group, which was created following the Select Committee response to the Inquiry on the future of public parks, is reviewing a range of issues relating to parks and...
Rishi Sunak: The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 already sets out what procurement and spend information local authorities should publish and the format in which it should be published to ensure transparency and comparability across authorities. I am aware some councils publish on open data hubs to enable comparability and I welcome this.
...Julian Smith Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Gary Streeter Mel Stride Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan Elizabeth Truss Thomas Tugendhat...
...Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Gary Streeter Mel Stride Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan Elizabeth Truss Thomas Tugendhat...
...Royston Smith Nicholas Soames Anna Soubry Caroline Spelman Mark Spencer Andrew Stephenson John Stevenson Bob Stewart Iain Stewart Rory Stewart Gary Streeter Mel Stride Graham Stuart Julian Sturdy Rishi Sunak Desmond Swayne Hugo Swire Robert Syms Ross Thomson Maggie Throup Justin Tomlinson Michael Tomlinson Craig Tracey David Tredinnick Anne-Marie Trevelyan Elizabeth Truss Thomas Tugendhat...
Rishi Sunak: Of the £23.1 billion in revenue reserves held by English local authorities as of 31 March 2017, non-ringfenced reserves make up £21.0 billion and have increased by 47 per cent since 31 March 2011. Of this, unallocated reserves amount to around £4.2 billion. It is for individual local authorities to decide on the level of unearmaked reserves that they should hold, based on their known...
Rishi Sunak: Local authorities are independent contracting authorities and are therefore responsible for their own procurement decisions. In doing this, they must of course, comply with the legislative framework. This includes considering social value under the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. This requires public authorities, including local authorities, to have regard to economic, social and...
Rishi Sunak: In England, homes are allocated one of eight property bands. Each band is a fixed proportion of the band D amount charged by each council tax-setting authority, including police and crime commissioners. The Government has no plans to change these arrangements.
Rishi Sunak: The Government recognises the importance of public toilets as a valuable community amenity and encourages local authorities to keep them open to the public. We are keeping under review the need for any further action to support local authorities, including parish and town councils, in doing so.
Rishi Sunak: Whilst Ministers and officials regularly have discussions with councils, including those in Staffordshire, on a wide range of issues that may include local government reorganisation, no specific discussions on reorganisation have been held during this Parliament with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands...
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: ...the Committee of the Regions. Perhaps other noble Lords will confirm this, but I believe that I have written to noble Lords about a meeting that not I but my honourable friend in the other place, Rishi Sunak, had with leaders of local government. That meeting has taken place. If noble Lords have not received the letter yet, it means that it has not yet gone out, but it is certainly in the...