Local Government Finance

Baroness Primarolo Excerpts

Tuesday 10th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Dawn Primarolo)]

We now come to the two motions on local government finance, which are to be debated together.

Before I call the Minister to move the first motion, I have to inform the House that there is an error on the Order Paper, in that the two reports relating to local government finance appearing in item 3 on the Order Paper have been considered by the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Kris Hopkins)]

I beg to move,

That the Local Government Finance Report (England) 2015–16 (HC 1013), which was laid before this House on 3 February, be approved.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

With this we will consider the following:

That the Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2015–16 (HC 1014), which was laid before this House on 3 February, be approved.

[Kris Hopkins]

On 18 December, I presented to the House a draft of the local government finance report, which set out our provisional settlement for local authorities in England for 2015-16, and began a period of consultation on our proposals. As I made clear to hon. Members then, we aim to deliver a settlement that is fair to all parts of the country, and that recognises the responsibility of local government to explore every opportunity for sensible savings. Every part of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit left by the previous Administration. Local government, which accounts for a quarter of all public spending, must continue to play its part.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Redwood]

Did my hon. Friend notice the continued insult to England? The Opposition say absolutely nothing about allowing England to settle her income tax levels, but they want Scotland to settle theirs. They want Scottish MPs to come down here and help dictate to England our income tax while they Balkanise England and pretend that breaking it up into mock European areas is some substitute for proper devolution.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Dawn Primarolo)]

Order. The right hon. Gentleman has got his point on the record, but you will stick to local government finance, won’t you, Mr Neill?

[Robert Neill]

Indeed I will, Madam Deputy Speaker. As we consider the future shape of the United Kingdom, I hope we will have a genuine debate about serious devolution of financial responsibility to local authorities, but that is certainly not what the Labour party’s proposals will achieve.