Published The Herald On Line -

12/1/2021

News

1 hr ago

Councils call for extra £1.5bn and 'no cap' on council tax

By David Bol @mrdavidbol Political Correspondent


SCOTTISH local authorities have warned communities face “further cuts to services” without almost £1.5 billion of extra revenue funding – amid a call for there to be no cap on raising council tax.

Cosla, the umbrella organisation for Scottish councils, has called for the Scottish Government to fully fund all of its own commitments placed on local authorities, such as expanded childcare provision, as well as mitigate the impacts of the pandemic...............

From COSLA Report -

Local Government’s asks of Scottish Government -

• Any additional COVID-related funding for 2020-21 from UK Government must be passed on to Local Government – there remains a gap of at least £360m that must be addressed

• Any cash increase for 2021-22 from UK Government must be passed on

• Additional social care costs (for delegated services) should continue to be met from Health consequentials during 2021-22 (c£300m additional for 20-21)

• All known Scottish Government policy commitments must be fully funded

• No cap on council tax - this must be a truly local tax

• The settlement should respect the efforts across “one workforce” and allow councils to make a pay award that aligns with all other parts of the public sector

• An end to small pots of ring-fenced, highly directed funding out with the Settlement

• Local Government’s wider role must be respected and funded - this includes adequate capital for affordable housing


You can read background and reports on COSLA Website here -

www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2021/covid-19-plac...l-budgets-says-cosla


www.cosla.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/...r-funding-Jan-21.pdf

In the last ERC Budget for 2020/21 Council Tax was increased by 4.84%