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Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 July 2026. It was answered by Alison McGovern (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Local Government Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure accountability and transparency in local government spending.

Answer

Local authority funding is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

The government recognises the significant pressures that councils are facing and is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.

The 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26, this includes over £4 billion new grant funding.

We are empowering local leaders and giving them flexibility to prioritise spending according to local need.

In England, the new Local Outcomes Framework will be used to understand progress across 16 priority outcomes in local areas. This will improve transparency and enable the public, government, local government and local partners to have a shared view of progress.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
18596
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Accountability Local government finance
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk