Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Strengthen the New Burdens doctrine to include increased costs for local authority services
Conclusion
The New Burdens doctrine must be reviewed, updated, and put on a stronger statutory footing. It must focus not only on new responsibilities, but on any increase in the costs of mandatory services delivered by local authorities. For any such increase in cost, there must be a proportionate increase in central government funding. (Recommendation, Paragraph 76)
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 21 October 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗