Contributions
2,291 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsMy Lords, there are also some councils doing extremely well in keeping services running. We continue to monitor the sector’s finances and stand ready to speak to any council and…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsI am very sorry that I cannot give my noble friend that answer from the Dispatch Box. I will look into it and come back to her.25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsMy Lords, the energy bill relief scheme this winter provides a discount on energy for councils whose bills have been significantly inflated. This scheme was to run until 2023, and…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsMy Lords, adult social care has been an issue to be solved for not just this Government but many Governments before them. The Government are putting more money into adult social…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsI absolutely agree with my noble friend, not only on that point but that councils can look to a referendum. It is important that, if they look for a referendum, they say what they…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsMy Lords, local authorities across this country are doing some very creative things to make their money go further. They are working closely with others in their local areas to…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsI do not have a date for that.25 Jan 2023HANSARDLocal Councils: 2023-24 BudgetsMy Lords, as I said, we recognise that councils are facing pressures but the 9% announced in the Autumn Statement is, in real terms, an increase in funding. Local government is…25 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, no, I cannot agree to do that because I think we would need to talk to those local authorities before we put anything like that out in the public domain. It is…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, across both rounds, the levelling-up fund has awarded £3.8 billion to 216 successful areas. This will deliver vital infrastructure projects across the UK. The…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, it is not a begging bowl culture; it is that we have a finite amount of money to spend on capital projects across this country. The only fair and transparent way of…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, no, I do not, and I do not think it is necessary to employ expensive consultants to do the bidding. Local authorities know what is important in their areas and they have…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundI agree with some of my noble friend’s views. If I remember rightly, I answered a similar question yesterday from my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham and said that the…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundI am afraid I cannot tell the noble Baroness; I have a list here, but I could not say how many have not had any funding. What I can say is that the officials dealing with this…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, no, I cannot, except to say that one bid must have been better than another. I understand that unsuccessful applicants will be disappointed, but I am pleased to say that…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, my noble friend is probably correct in that. I would encourage any ports that need better access to make them even better, particularly if they are freeports, to look at…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundNo, my Lords. Anybody who knows anything about local government funding knows that this has been looked at by many Governments over many years, but we are committed, in the…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundFirst, I say congratulations to Wales on getting the highest amount per capita out of this round. I am sorry; I will have to get an answer to that. I do not know the detail of the…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, I am very sorry, but I cannot explain the techniques. All I am aware of—we have made it very clear—is that there will be a third round. It is best to note that 45% of…24 Jan 2023HANSARDLevelling Up FundMy Lords, I am sure that once they put in an expression of interest for the bids—because it is in two rounds—they would have been told the rules for that second round of bidding.24 Jan 2023