Hard-up councils still waiting for capitalisation directions

摘要

MPs have raised concerns after it emerged councils are still awaiting confirmation on emergency funding. Senior officials told the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee that external reviews that will enable capitalisation directions to be implemented by councils that have struggled to balance their books during the pandemic have yet to take place. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is appointing consultants for the reviews to take place in the summer. Committee chair Clive Betts told mandarins: 'Authorities won't know what they have to spend and what resources are available until halfway through the year.' Director of local government finance Alex Skinner responded: 'I don't anticipate that waiting until potentially later in the summer will be a problem.'