news story

12th December 2006

MP Challenges Government Over "Serial Failure" to Support South Gloucestershire

Northavon MP Steve Webb has written to local government minister Ruth Kelly to demand an explanation as to why South Gloucestershire has been 'singled out' for a poor financial deal for 2006/07 among other councils in the area. The MP has analysed the provisional local government settlement for 2006/07 and has found that:

* of the four "former Avon" local authorities, South Gloucestershire got the worst deal; the grant increase for South Gloucestershire was 3.7%, compared with 4.2% for North Somerset, 4.9% for Bristol and 6.6% for Bath & North East Somerset;

* the South Gloucestershire increase was below the increase for the South West as a whole, which was 4.3%;

* the South Gloucestershire increase was below the average for other similar councils ("shire unitaries not responsible for fire services") across the country which was 4.1%.

Steve Webb said:

"No-one is saying that South Gloucestershire should be at the top of the funding league. Of course there are more deprived areas where needs are greater. But what is unacceptable is that not only are we at the bottom of the funding league, but that gap will get wider next year.

"I cannot see why South Gloucestershire should get a smaller rise than other similar authorities around Bristol, a smaller rise than other councils across the South West and a smaller rise than other unitary authorities across England. No matter how often they change the rules for funding councils, one thing never changes - South Gloucestershire always gets a rough deal".

The MP has now challenged Ruth Kelly to explain why this year's settlement is especially poor for South Gloucestershire and to urge her to use next Spring's review of the council funding formula to provide a fairer deal for local people.