Written question asked by Mark Simmonds (Conservative) on Wednesday, 2 December 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 December 2009. It was answered by Barbara Follett (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 December 2009 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Local Government Finance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £250 million local government efficiency savings referred to in the Department of Health consultation document on Personal Care at Home he expects to be made from each budget of each local authority.

Answer: The commitment to offer free personal care at home to those with highest needs is expected to cost up to £670 million per full year. The Government, through the Department of Health, will provide the bulk of this funding (£420 million per full year). It is right that councils play their part, and the remainder of the funding will come from efficiencies in local government. However, it is not for central Government to micro-manage the budgets of local authorities. They are best placed to make decisions on how to fund this important commitment. It is for this reason that the additional funding being provided by central Government will be distributed on a non-ringfenced basis. The Department of Health is consulting separately on the formulae that will be used for distributing the grant to councils.

Secondary information