Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Halton on 30 April 2018, Official Report column 16, what the evidential basis is for the answer.
As part of our oversight of local government expenditure, this Department does consider the financial stability and service delivery of individual authorities. We keep the system under review and liaise with other departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to understand their current assessment of service pressures and aspirations. In addition, Ministers and officials have regular contact with a wide range of local authorities, including as part of the annual local government finance settlement.
On this basis, we have no immediate concerns on the ability of local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties. We know the social care sector is under pressure, which is why we have given an additional £2 billion funding over the three years until 2019-20.