I have previously updated the House on the Government commitment to reset our relationship with local and regional government, to fix the foundations of local government, and to support the sector to build resilience. Today, I am updating the House on the steps we are taking to support Slough borough council’s recovery and reform.
Slough has been in intervention since December 2021, with the intervention extended in November 2024 until November 2026. I am today publishing the latest commissioners’ report, received in October, which outlines that the tentative progress identified at Slough borough council in the commissioners’ previous report does not appear to have been sustained. Some progress has been made, with the internal audit plan being delivered and the internal audit and counter-fraud teams increasing visibility, targeting training, and becoming an indispensable part of good governance within the council. However, the council is still working to improve the implementation of audit recommendations and procurement compliance through better data use. There remain significant in-year budget pressures and a lack of strategic focus and delivery of transformation plans and programmes.
The Government remain committed to working in partnership with Slough borough council to support compliance with the best value duty and ensure the high standards of governance that residents rightly expect. I also want to acknowledge the diligent and hard-working members of staff at the council who do their utmost to provide essential frontline services for residents.
Nevertheless, I am concerned with the pace of improvement, four years into intervention. Progress remains slow and the council lacks resilience to withstand unforeseen changes. Slough remains far from where we expect it to be at this stage of the intervention, with the council still facing significant budget challenges and requiring transparent governance, and strong, corporate leadership. It remains imperative that the council does not lose sight of the scale of the improvement journey in front of it. I expect the council to continue to put in place all necessary measures required, and I am grateful for the ongoing support of commissioners in ensuring the council’s stability.
In light of this slow progress I am today commissioning an external review, led by Dame Mary Ney with support from Will Godfrey. The review will assess Slough borough council’s improvement trajectory under intervention and identify what if any further support is required to drive immediate progress and to put the council on a long-term sustainable footing. The role of commissioners at the council will remain unchanged during the review period. I expect the review to report back by May.
I will deposit in the House Library copies of the documents referred to, which are being published on gov.uk today. I will update the House in due course.
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