Cuts Watch #51: Detailed information on local government cuts

10 Jun 2010, by Nicola Smith in Cuts Watch

Communities and Local Government have published detailed information on how local government’s £1.166 billion of cuts will be broken down, as well as further detail on specific departmental cuts. Of particular note are:

• £49.9 million has been cut from the Working Neighbourhood Fund, which aims to tackle worklessness in deprived areas.
• £17.5 million has been cut from the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) which aims to stimulate economic development in deprived areas.
• £186 million has been cut from Regional Development Agencies.

A spreadsheet documenting the extent of cuts across local authorities is also available. It shows that some of the most deprived areas in the country are facing the largest cuts. In addition, details have been published of where ring-fences have been removed from revenue grants. These include £94 million from the Think Family Grant (which provides family and parenting support programmes); the AIDS support grant (which supports HIV/AIDS related social services) and £51 million from the Learning Disability Campus Closure Programme (which supports people with learning disabilities moving from campuses to housing in the community).