Kingston Council calls for further detail on local government funding in budget
Kingston Council welcomes new measures outlined in the budget aimed at supporting businesses and individuals to recover from the economic effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
During his budget speech on Wednesday 27 October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlined a range of financial support aimed at supporting families, increasing funding for special educational needs and disability, providing more funding to the NHS and increasing the minimum wage.
Mr Sunak also pledged a £5 billion investment into health-related research and development to help tackle health inequalities, as well as £24 billion for housing, with £11.5 billion earmarked for affordable homes.
Whilst additional funding has been promised for local government, there has not yet been any detail on how this will be distributed and therefore the benefit to Kingston residents remains uncertain.
Councillor Andreas Kirsch, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Finance, said:
“The council is pleased that more money will be available for local authorities to support our communities to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a focus on skills, education and support for families.
“However, we haven’t yet received any details on how this will be distributed and what it will mean for Kingston and its communities. Years of austerity and cuts have left our borough with big financial challenges, so it will be interesting to see how this funding can support our residents.”
Read more about Kingston Council’s 2021-22 budget and download the council’s full budget proposals.