Minister promises not to forget Cornwall’s needs in funding settlement  

Local Government Minister gave a Cornish MP an “absolute commitment” that the Government’s new long-term funding formula for councils will reflect Cornwall’s real needs. In answer to Liberal Democrat West Cornwall MP Andrew George the House of Commons was assured the rurality of Cornwall’s geography, its deprivation and the increasing age of its residents would all be reflected in future funding settlements. Concerns had been raised by Andrew George after the Government withdrew a £6m “Rural Services Delivery Grant”, forcing Cornwall Council to make an extra £6m of cuts to essential services in the coming financial year.  

Today in Parliament, Andrew asked Labour Minister Jim McMahon for an assurance that rural authorities like Cornwall, with urban levels of deprivation and a super-ageing population will receive funding to match their growing needs. He received a positive response. The minister said “He and all members of this house have our absolute commitment that we want to make sure that when we do the funding revision to the formula, that it takes into account all the matters that he has stated.”  

“The stakes for Cornwall Council couldn’t be greater”, said Andrew. “Labour promised multi-year funding settlements to give councils long-term financial stability, so a fairer funding deal could put Cornwall on the road to recovery after years of Conservative austerity. But if the multi-year settlement repeats the urban bias of this year’s funding settlement, it will lock-in this unfairness, putting Cornwall Council on a path to bankruptcy.”  

“I will keep working with my Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and with Cornwall Council to press the case for a fair deal for Cornwall.”