Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
We asked representatives of the local government sector how well the Department had engaged with...
Recommendation
We asked representatives of the local government sector how well the Department had engaged with it over the last year. We heard and received evidence praising the quality of the Department’s engagement with the sector during the pandemic. For example, Manchester City Council told us that the Department’s engagement had been good both in relation to individual authorities and collectively with the sector as a whole.26 However, the Society of County Treasurers conveyed an equally clear message that the engagement by other government departments was not as good and that other departments had not listened as much to the sector. It suggested that this should be a key lesson the government should learn from the pandemic.27 The Department told us it recognised that communication with local government “is variable across departments” because they differ in their normal exposure to local government, but asserted that increased joint working during the pandemic had strengthened relationships in key areas of public health and social care.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2021 3.2 The department has worked closely with other government departments to ensure a coordinated response that takes close account of local government financial pressures, including on the design of the Local authority COVID-19 financial impact monthly monitoring, and through communication of the results. The department has also led sector engagement and ensured two-way communication between other departments and local authorities, including meetings on specific policy problems, as well as virtual visits and themed roundtables, to encourage knowledge-sharing. 3.3 The department has utilised established processes and cross-Whitehall relationships at every level, helping to embed local government finance intelligence – both technical expertise and monthly monitoring data - into policy-making processes at the earliest opportunity. 3.4 The department will work alongside other government departments to help them assess what steps can be taken to further a greater understanding of local government finance. 3.5 The department will coordinate a written response to the Committee by October 2021 outlining how each department plans to improve, and then maintain, their understanding of the operational realities of local government finance and the financial pressures authorities face.