Following the Welsh Government Draft Budget for 2017-18 (released on Tuesday 18 October 2016) the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government has today published the Provisional Local Government Settlement 2017-18, this outlines funding for each of Wales’ twenty-two local authorities.
The total settlement is £4.107 billion, which is an increase of £3.8 million (0.1%) when compared to the Final Settlement in 2016-17. This is the first increase in the local government settlement since 2013-14.
The provisional settlement includes increases and decreases in funding for different local authorities. The largest increase is 0.9% in Gwynedd and the largest decrease is -0.5% for five local authorities (Wrexham, Powys, Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen).
The full breakdown of percentage change in funding by local authority is outlined in the below infographic.
This year no authority will experience a decrease of more than -0.5%. Of the five authorities where the funding change equates to -0.5%, four have received top-up funding totalling £2.3 million to ensure they do not experience a reduction beyond -0.5%, allocated as below:
- Wrexham - £181,000
- Powys - £1,374,000
- Merthyr Tydfil - £585,000
- Blaenau Gwent - £147,000
The Cabinet Secretary’s letter to local authorities, the Local Government Finance Report 2017-18 and the Local Government Revenue and Capital Settlement 2017-18 (Provisional): All Wales – Tables, can be found on the Welsh Government website.
General Capital Funding for local authorities in 2017-18 is £143 million.
Article by Owen Holzinger and David Millett, National Assembly for Wales Research Service
