Yesterday, the Government announced the latest allocations of funding for local councils from a £1 billion package unveiled earlier this month.
I am pleased to see the local authorities covering this constituency – the Forest of Dean District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council and Gloucestershire County Council – have all benefitted from extra Government funding, with the latest round of additional funds meaning these councils have received a boost of £1.4 million, £1.37 million and £51 million respectively.
The Government has given councils more than £6.4 billion extra since the pandemic began, including £4.6 billion in un-ringfenced grants to cover their direct additional costs associated with the pandemic, £1.1 billion extra for social care and grant funding for a range of specific measures such as reopening high streets safely, supporting local compliance and enforcement, and providing emergency support for rough sleepers.
These funds are part of an unprecedented package of support for councils, which also includes up to £465 million through the new Local Alert Level system, £300 million to support Test and Trace and £30 million for enforcement and compliance. Councils can also claim funding through a compensation scheme for lost income from sales, fees and charges.