Local Government Finance

Derek Twigg Excerpts

Monday 13th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

My hon. Friend should be pleased to know that Devon faces a cut of 1.8% in its spending. One reason for that, as in other local authorities, is that social services are offered a degree of protection depending on the number of elderly people who have chosen to live there. However, some of the districts have to rely on the full amount in terms of the guarantee of no more than 8.9%.

[Derek Twigg (Halton) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State lost his train of thought this morning on the “Today” programme, which we can well understand given his disgraceful statement to the House this afternoon, but may I ask him a specific question? In the banding annex of the local government finance report, Dorset is in band 4, but he said that it will receive a slight increase in funding, or at least no cut. Will Halton, which is in band 1—the most deprived band—receive an increase in funding? It cannot be fair for somewhere in band 4 to get a better settlement than somewhere in band 1.