Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the validity of reports that Lancashire County Council will have a deficit of £118 million by 2021.

Through the settlement, local government has been given access to £45.1 billion in 2018 - 19 and £45.6 billion in 2019 - 20. This is an overall increase since 2017 - 18 of £1.3 billion, in recognition of increasing pressures, including demand for adult's and children's services.

It is then for every local authority to make arrangements for proper management of their financial affairs, including developing plans to meet local spending commitments. As such, the Secretary of State has not made any assessment of the validity of figures disclosed in any reports.