Only around a quarter of councils’ usable reserves can be used to shore up services and meet demand, despite government figures suggesting larger sums might be available, experts have said.
Local authority reserves collectively rose again last year, as many councils diverted funding to build up their buffers in the absence of a long-term funding settlement, CIPFA has said.
A new mechanism is needed to provide the government and public with an early warning system prior to the publishing of section 114 notices, Public Accounts Committee chair Meg Hillier told PF.
The health service and local government both need long-term financial sustainability if the government is to successfully respond to the next national emergency, the National Audit Office has...
