Debates between Andrew Gwynne and Lyn Brown during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Local Government and Social Care Funding

Debate between Andrew Gwynne and Lyn Brown
Wednesday 24th April 2019

(5 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrew Gwynne Portrait Andrew Gwynne
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I will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham (Lyn Brown) and then I need to make progress.

Lyn Brown Portrait Lyn Brown (West Ham) (Lab)
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I am grateful that my hon. Friend has mentioned children’s services. Clearly, the overspend on children’s services has hit a new high of £800 million—and of £12 million in Newham alone last year—and it is calculated that this funding gap will get to £2 billion by 2020. Is it not a complete and utter nonsense, and unsustainable for councils, to be told that they should be using what little reserves they still have to keep safe our very vulnerable children?