Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, by what dates her Department is required to (a) publish and (b) ratify the local government finance settlement for 2025-26; and what the deadlines are for local authorities to publish their (i) budget and (ii) council tax requirements for 2025-26.

Precepting authorities must set their council tax by 1 March each year and billing authorities must set their council tax by 11 March. Within 21 days of setting their council tax, billing authorities are required to publish details of the total council tax charges in their area. There are no set dates by which the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) must be published.

To allow councils to set their budgets in good time, ahead of the 1 March deadline for setting council tax bills, the Department should publish and put before Parliament the final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 before the end of February 2025.