This week, at the Public Accounts Committee, I questioned officials from the Department of Health and Social Care about the additional money the Chancellor announced in last week's Spending Review. I was disappointed that the Permanent Secretary didn't know what percentage of this funding was "new money" and what level would have to come from local government precepts. In reality, the Chancellor's statement promised a roll forward of grants which were due at the end of this year and an additional £1 billion grant and £500 million through an extension of the social care precept. This means that a significant percentage of this supposedly new money is going to have to come from precepts, of which the councils with the highest need have the least capacity to generate additional income. Yet again, it appears that the supposed spending splurge means yet more burden on our local councils which have already had to bare the brunt of nearly a decade of Tory cuts. Here's a clip of me questioning the Permanent Secretary ⬇️

Posted by Gareth Snell MP on Wednesday, September 11, 2019