Conservative government supports Brighton and Hove in the battle to beat covid-19

Last Saturday the Local Government Minister Robert Jenrick announced a further £1.6 billion was on its way to local councils across the country.

And I am delighted that yet another grant from the government will help support the battle to beat the covid-19 coronavirus in Brighton and Hove.

In announcing the funding, Robert Jenrick said “At the beginning of this emergency I told local councils we would give them the resources that they need to do the job. And I meant it.”

Mr Jenrick has been true to his word and this has been reflected in the funding being delivered.

In summary the government’s package of support for local areas has included

• Supporting frontline services with £3.2 billion in funding for local authorities
• Supporting social care with an £850 million upfront payment this month
• Funding care packages for the vulnerable who are self-isolating – 250,000 packages delivered
• Rates support to help businesses manage their cashflow with £20 billion support.
• Small Business Rate relief – £10,000 grants
• Supporting the retail, hospitality and leisure economy – £25,000 grants to businesses
• Accommodating all rough sleepers – £3.2 million of initial emergency funding for local authorities
• Tackling domestic abuse – £2 million additional funding to bolster domestic abuse helplines and online support
• Clearing budgetary pressures on councils by deferring local authority payments – £2.6 billion support

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And this very comprehensive and coherent support comes on top of the 2020-21 financial settlement, the most generous to local government for a decade.

The challenge for the council, with so much funding support being provided, is to spend this money effectively so that it is not wasted and gets to the people who need it the most.

The Conservative group on council is holding the Labour administration to account and raising concerns as they are reported from members of the public.

Currently, in government league tables ranking the response of councils to the coronavirus, Brighton and Hove City Council is ranked mid-table for effectiveness of delivery of this funding support.

There is a feeling that as a major city authority it should be doing do a lot better to get resources to the vulnerable.

All funding from the UK government to Brighton and Hove City Council is welcome at this time and I am pleased that these grants have been made speedily available as required.

And we have been assured that more is to come if needed.