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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any shortfall in the collection of the adult social care precept in two-tier areas, for which county councils can calculate the extra two per cent on their proportion of the overall council tax, compared with unitary authorities, which can calculate the extra two per cent on their total tax level; and what is their assessment of the amount of any such shortfall in two-tier areas per person and per authority compared with unitary authorities.

The Government recognises the pressures on councils in providing social care. The Secretary of State recently confirmed that the adult social care precept would continue in 2020-21, giving councils access to an additional £500 million. The recent local government finance settlement also provided local government with an additional £1 billion of grant funding for both adult and children’s social care.