Spending Commitments to Local Councils

Lord Scriven Excerpts
Monday 22nd July 2024

(4 months, 1 week ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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The noble Lord is a great champion of libraries, culture and arts in this Chamber. The severe pressure that local authority funding has come under in recent years has had a particular impact there. We will want to look closely at whether we can help alleviate those pressures. Libraries provide such a fantastic resource for our communities, as do the leisure facilities that local authorities provide.

Lord Scriven Portrait Lord Scriven (LD)
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My Lords, I declare my interest as a vice-president to the Local Government Association. Will the Government support a pilot in one area, as laid out by the Institute for Government, for a small tax assignment scheme to test what it says will be the positive impact for local areas’ revenue? If not, why not?

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Portrait Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)
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I am sure that officials in my department are looking with great care at the report concerned. We will consider all the recommendations in it with due care, as we always would.