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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help secure the financial sustainability of (a) the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead and (b) all local councils.

This Government recognises that council funding has been under pressure since 2010. Any council that has unmanageable pressures and is concerned about its financial position should approach the department.

We will provide councils with more stability and certainty through moving towards multi-year funding settlements and by ending wasteful competitive bidding pots. This will ensure councils can plan their finances for the future properly, delivering better value for money for taxpayers. Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement in which we are engaged.

Department officials continue to engage regularly with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead regarding its financial position.