MHCLG statistics on local authority planned spend on services

Matt Dunkley, Chair of the ADCS Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee, said:

“These statistics show that councils remain committed to protecting spend on statutory children’s services – collectively councils plan to spend £9.1 billion on these services in 2019/20, up £535 million from the year before. What the data doesn’t show is the tough decisions councils will continue to have to make in order to manage rising need for services and reducing budgets. Local authorities are having to divert funding away from the very services that help children and families earlier as needs arise and reduce future demand e.g. children’s centres and youth services as well as other services that are valued by our communities, such as bin collections and libraries. The Treasury must recognise that this is neither a sensible nor sustainable fiscal approach and is only storing up huge financial and human costs for the future.”

ENDS

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