The most recent assessment of local authorities\u2019 relative needs and resources took place in 2013-14 alongside the introduction of the 50 per cent business rates retention system. The demand for local services was assessed through funding formulas which took into account the relative cost of delivering services across the country, including London.<\/p>
The costs of providing comparable services differ between areas partly because of their differing characteristics (such as numbers of elderly people, or lengths of road) and partly because of differences in the costs of inputs which local authorities need to buy. An area cost adjustment is included in the current assessment to allow for the latter of these differences, and reflects two sources of differences in costs between areas: differences in labour costs; and differences in business rates paid on local authority premises.<\/p>
At present the Government is carrying out a fair funding review of local authorities\u2019 relative needs and resources, and we are working closely with the Local Government Association and representatives from across local government to ensure that we consider all the issues that impact on authorities\u2019 relative need to spend on services and their capacity to fund these from local resources.<\/p>
Amongst the issues we will consider are the impact of geographical factors such as area-related costs and rurality, and how to account for these within a new methodology.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-29T13:58:05.26Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government Services: Greater London"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what account his Department takes of the relatively high cost of delivering local services in London in determining the local government finance settlement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/166", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Joan Ryan"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Enfield North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Joan Ryan"} ], "uin" : "124247"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/827967", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/827967/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Sir Greg Knight has introduced a Private Members\u2019 Bill that seeks to create an independent code of practice for private parking companies. In line with the Manifesto, the Government fully supports Sir Greg Knight's Bill and seeks to get the fairest deal for motorists whilst helping to tackle rogue private parking companies. Should the Bill progress, there will be an opportunity to consider the obligations on private parking companies. The Bill is due for second reading on 2 February 2018 and I will be speaking in the Commons to voice the Government\u2019s and my personal support. Further information is available here http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/parkingcodeofpractice.html<\/a>.<\/p> The number of appeals processed by either private parking companies or local authorities is not data that is collected by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/827967/answer/previousversion/37195", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-29T11:34:34.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Parking"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce a single code of conduct for private parking operators; and if he will estimate the number of car parking fine appeals that have been processed in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4458", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Conor McGinn"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "St Helens North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Conor McGinn"}
], "uin" : "123927"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/828052", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/828052/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department works closely with the Local Government Association (LGA) on a host of issues and through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), provides £21 million of funding to the LGA to deliver a number of activities. Included in this is training and development offers for councillors, for example, the LGA have a target of providing development opportunities for at least 700 councillors and also run a more tailored development offer for ambitious councillors. This MoU is reviewed formally on a quarterly basis by officials and the LGA.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4483", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rishi Sunak"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Richmond (Yorks)"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Rishi Sunak"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-30T15:44:44.157Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Councillors: Training"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on training for councillors.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"}
], "uin" : "124012"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/828150", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/828150/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "