9. Welsh Conservatives Debate: Local government funding

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:29 pm on 29 March 2023.

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Photo of Peter Fox Peter Fox Conservative 5:29, 29 March 2023

Diolch, Llywydd, and can I thank everybody for contributing this afternoon to this debate? We're all as one when we praise local authorities and the great work that they do, and this isn't about what they do; this is about the funding system and how it needs to be fairer for both council tax payers and the councils themselves.

Can I thank Sam for opening up the debate and sharing again that there is £2.75 billion in useable reserves? I've done a lot of research on this, and £2.75 billion in reserves is a £600 million increase in useable reserves on the previous year. Useable reserves are not just the general reserves; they are the earmarked reserves as well. Yes, there is a portion that is school balances, which is a minuscule amount of the £2.75 billion. There is also a portion of capital in there that is a relatively small amount. The general largest pots are in the earmarked reserve, and many times those have been inflated and generally or often haven't got plans to utilise them over the coming few years or previously. So, there is certainly a need to review the situation there.