Contributions
1,006 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLocal Audit BacklogLocal audit is the bedrock of local accountability and transparency, and of trust and confidence in councils to spend taxpayer money wisely. But 14 years of neglect took the…07 Jul 2025HANSARDLocal Government Outcomes FrameworkLocal government delivers over 800 essential services that we all rely on, including to the most vulnerable in society. From shaping local places to supporting community…03 Jul 2025HANSARDMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentI begin by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (Florence Eshalomi), the Chair of the Select Committee, for opening the debate with her usual…24 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Leadership StructureToday, I will update Parliament on the Government’s ambitious plans to introduce legislation which will simplify governance arrangements for local authorities in England and to…24 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority GovernanceToday, I am updating Parliament on the Government’s plans to review governance arrangements for local authorities in England. Our goal is to ensure that local communities have the…23 Jun 2025HANSARDFair Funding Review 2.0 and Administration of Council TaxThis Government were elected on a manifesto to fix the foundations local government so that taxpayers can once again rely on strong and reliable local services. After 14 years of…20 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Government Best Value: Thurrock CouncilAs I have previously stated when updating the House, this Government are committed to resetting the relationship with local and regional government, and to establishing…19 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Government ReorganisationAs I told the House on 5 February, I have issued invitations under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 to all councils in two-tier areas and their small…17 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Government Best Value: Croydon CouncilAs I have previously stated when updating the House, this Government are committed to resetting the relationship between central and regional government, and to establishing…12 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingQuite frankly, it is a bit rich for any shadow Minister to critique the current system when the Conservatives deliberately designed it in their 14 years in government. The…09 Jun 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThat is one of the reasons why the Surrey arrangement was accelerated. We recognised the lack of balance between the debt liability and the assets and incomes. We also recognised…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingThe Government have delivered a settlement that begins to fix the foundations and makes available over £69 billion in 2025-26. In 2026-27, an improved approach will direct funding…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingI thank my hon. Friend for her work in championing those issues. We are fundamentally reforming how we assess councils’ relative needs and resources, to ensure that funding is…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingWe are laying the groundwork now, ahead of the provisional settlement, which will be the first multi-year settlement in over a decade and will deal with a lot of the structural…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingThe questions that have been raised demonstrate why the fair funding review is needed, and why it has to take into account all the different factors that have an impact on whether…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingWe made available an additional £5 billion as part of the settlement, and £3.7 billion of that was for social care. We understand the pressures and we are directing money to…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingI can absolutely assure the hon. Member that we are working through those issues, and we will consult the sector on them. Given all the variations that we will take into account,…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingI hear what the hon. Gentleman says. On the calls that we have with MPs when we update them on these issues, his tone is quite different. We need to separate the rhetoric from the…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingIn all areas, there is more than adequate time to prepare final proposals. Councils in the devolution priority programme have until September, and all others—the majority—have…09 Jun 2025HANSARDLocal Authority FundingThis month, we are consulting on an updated assessment of need that we will implement from 2026-27. Importantly, that includes the indices of multiple deprivation, a designated…09 Jun 2025