Local government and social care

That this House recognises that adult social care is the largest area of council spending after SEND provision; notes that in 2024-25 the gross current expenditure for local authorities in England on adult social care totalled £29.4 billion which was a 9% increase on the previous year in cash terms; is therefore deeply concerned by the pressure adult social care is placing on local authority finances; regrets that a recent report by the Committee of Public Accounts found that delayed funding reforms to local authority funding coupled with rising demand on their services has meant funding is not matching the local need nor local circumstances; is concerned that costs associated with the SEND provision and National Insurance contribution increases mean local authorities’ budgets are being stretched beyond their limits; further regrets that increasing numbers of people are seeing requests for social care denied under this pressure, causing elderly and vulnerable people to suffer and increasing pressure on the NHS; and calls on the Government urgently to complete its review into social care and reform central funding to local authorities to ensure they are equipped to fund the high levels of demand on their services.