Local Government funding (No. 2)

That this House notes with concern research by the National Audit Office which states that 25 Local Councils are on the brink of bankruptcy; notes with further concern research from the NAO which found that 94 per cent of English councils expect to cut spending next year to meet budget requirements; notes that a decade of austerity has reduced the spending power of councils by a third, leaving local government ill-prepared to cope during a health pandemic which has seen demand for local services rise; expresses disappointment that no announcement was forthcoming in the Budget regarding councils' public health grant, nor to address the need for a further £2.6 billion in funding the Local Government Association have estimated will be required to cover cost pressures faced by Councils due to Covid-19; believes local authorities have a vital role to play in rebuilding community resilience as part of a post Covid-19 recovery; and therefore calls on the Government provide the necessary funding to ensure Local Councils are able to meet all extra cost pressures and income losses and rebuild their communities without making further cuts to services.