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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that may be unable to set balanced budgets in 2021-22 without a capitalisation direction from his Department.

All local authorities set a balanced budget for 2021/22. The Department continues to engage regularly with local government, which includes our ongoing financial monitoring survey and direct contact with councils and their representatives, local Leaders and Chief Executives.

Local authorities that have needed to seek additional support from the Government have done so because of unique circumstances or residual issues, reflecting local circumstances. Where the Department has provided targeted support, these cases have been published on the Gov.uk website.