Funding for Local Authorities

Debate between Anne Marie Morris and Angela Smith

Thursday 10th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot) (Con)]

Clearly, we are in tough times. It is therefore absolutely right that we endeavour to get more for less. The Government have been very prudent in doing two things: managing budgets and costs, and pushing down much of the decision making to a local level. I am particularly fond of the localism agenda.

However, I represent a very rural constituency in Devon and I share the concern of my hon. Friend the Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish), who secured this debate, that there is a divide in how funding has been allocated. It is to the credit of the Government that they have recognised that divide. As my hon. Friend said, the challenge is in getting the Government to “get on with it”. It is clearly inappropriate that urban authorities have 50% more to spend than more rural authorities. There is a big job to do.

The cuts to local authority funding have been criticised by Opposition Members. I do not know how many of them were listening to BBC Radio 4 two days ago, but it cited an ICM poll showing that there was a good deal of satisfaction with local government services. The areas that were of concern were social care and potholes, which have a particular impact in rural areas and areas with elderly populations.

[Angela Smith]

I am sorry to intervene on the hon. Lady when I have just spoken, but people in my area cannot exhibit any satisfaction with their leisure centres because they have both been closed and they no longer have any.

[Anne Marie Morris]

No survey is perfect, but I do not believe that this one is any less representative than any other. I think that the findings are good.