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

To ask Her Majesty's Government by how much local government funding has been reduced since 2010; and what assessment they have made of the effect on vulnerable communities of such reductions.

Since 2010 there have been changes to the financing and functions of local government, and therefore spending power, the measure of funding available to local authorities, is not directly comparable over this period.

Prior to 2013-14, Formula Grant was non-ring fenced money for local government services. It was funded by central government grant and redistributed business rates. From 2013-14, Settlement Funding Assessment became the way central government provided local authorities with non-ring fenced funding for local government services.

Councils will have had access to over £200 billion over the five-year period 2015-16 to 2019-20, and funding for local government will increase in real-terms next year.

As democratically elected organisations, local authorities are independent of central government and are responsible for managing their budgets in line with local priorities. However, the Government expects local authorities to meet the challenge of making savings, while continuing to provide excellent services to local communities. It is for local authorities to conduct their own impact assessments of local decisions on residents, including vulnerable adults and children.