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<p>The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to
£64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in
cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government
stands behind councils up and down the country. Furthermore, we recognise the importance
and difficulties of councils serving dispersed populations. That is why we have increased
the value of the Rural Services Delivery Grant by over 15%, from £95 million to £110
million in 2024-25. This is the highest increase since 2018-19, and the second successive
year of above-inflation increases.</p><p> </p><p>We last calculated the Settlement
Funding Assessment in 2013/14. The Government is committed to reforming the local
government funding landscape in the next Parliament to deliver simpler, fairer and
longer settlements.</p><p> </p><p>The Rural Services Delivery Grant is allocated to
local authorities ranking in the top-quartile of sparsely populated areas in England,
using the Government’s ‘Super Sparsity’ measure. The methodology is unchanged from
2023-24 and any funding decisions beyond the 2024-25 financial year are a matter for
the next Spending Review.</p>
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