Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill

Lord Bishop of Chichester Excerpts

Report stage
Thursday 13th July 2023 Lords Chamber

I do not intend to test the opinion of the House, but I would not wish this occasion to pass without repeating what I say quite frequently: you have to believe that democracy matters and that those charged with making major public investment decision command the support of their electorates.

[The Lord Bishop of Chichester]

My Lords, I wish to speak in support of Amendment 63, which I had understood was tabled in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, but to which the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, spoke. I speak having consulted with my colleague the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Bristol, who has been doing some work in this area.

It seems entirely right and logical that the methodology used for allocating funds for a local authority is based on the most up-to-date information. As has been outlined, the current mechanism of allocating funds does not respond to local needs or local data and often seems to rely on data that is out of date. This will simply act as a barrier to the crucial role local government has to play in ensuring that people can receive the services and support they need, no matter where they live. These services, from collecting bins and filling potholes to providing much-needed support for low-income households and preventing homelessness—core business—have a considerable impact on the wellbeing and welfare of families and households who may be struggling to get by, and in turn affect the fabric of our communities.

We are all acutely aware that as pressure on council budgets grows, the demand for local services continues to rise. If levelling up is to be the mission that animates government to share prosperity across the country, it is vital that local authorities have the powers and funding from government to ensure that they can undertake the services that are so important for people in all our communities, especially those with higher levels of deprivation, and that they are ready to respond to unforeseen emergency crises such as the Covid pandemic.

A broader challenge facing local authorities which will make a difference in determining the success of levelling up is their ability to recruit staff, especially in planning departments. If we are to build more homes and improve our infrastructure, we need high quality fully staffed planning teams alongside neighbourhood and local plans. Again, this is part of core purpose. The fair funding review offers an opportunity to estimate the relative spending needs of different local authorities based on up-to-date information and more recent trends. I support this amendment as a way of increasing support for deprived communities whose welfare and wellbeing rightly has to be the focus of this Bill.