Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne has called on ministers to publish the provisional finance settlement immediately amid silence on its timing from Whitehall.

The 2018 Hudson review into how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) oversees local government finance recommended a date of 5 December for the provisional settlement and 31 January for the final one to give councils time to plan their budgets.

Last year the ministry missed the deadline due to Brexit and this year the General Election got in the way.

Speaking as it was confirmed that the ministerial team at MHCLG will stay the same, Mr Gwynne said: ‘After years of cuts, no plan for social care and now a delayed local government settlement, the Government needs to finally provide our councils with financial security as they plan their budgets for next year.’

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