Commenting on the final publication of the Local Government Finance Settlement, Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, LGA Lib Dem Group Leader, said:
“This announcement of some extra support for local councils must be seen in the context of the steep cut in Revenue Support Grant across local government, the cut in public health funding and the delay in getting more money into the social care system – all of which will have serious consequences.
“While this additional cash announced as transitional funding will help some authorities, other areas in need of help will still not get anything.
Those getting some extra support will include a number of rural councils who were going to be disproportionately hit by the government’s cuts to local authority spending. One would have hoped that the government would have realised this when it issued its draft local government settlement, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
“The devil will be in the detail now, especially as Councils wait to see the detail of the special grants they receive in addition to the settlement. If the cut to public health funding is anything to go by, then the announcement may have a dark side and have hidden consequences”