Policy and Consultations:
2025 Consultations - Closed
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The IRRV responds to consultations that are relevant to the membership and profession across all the Institute’s faculties. Most consultations of interest are issued by the UK national governments on legislative matters, but responses can be made to papers emanating from the private and non-profit sectors and from international bodies. This work is undertaken under the guidance of the Law and Research Portfolio Holder. Drafting is developed with the input of the Institute’s Faculty Board members. Issues being consulted upon can often span the interests of two or more Boards; it is a strength of the Institute’s responses that they reflect that wider professional viewpoint.
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Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 26 [England]
This consultation seeks views, in particular from representatives of local government, on proposals for the local government finance settlement for 2025-26. The settlement is an annual process to distribute core resources to local government and consists of grant, council tax and locally retained business rates. Following consultation, the government will determine the final amounts of the Revenue Support Grant, and the section 31 grants distributed alongside the settlement, and their allocations to receiving authorities and the specified body, as part of determining the overall allocation of this year’s settlement made to each local authority in England.
This consultation document, together with accompanying documents including the draft Local Government Finance Report for 2025-26, notifies representatives of local government and members of the public of the government’s proposals for policies across the upcoming settlement. This includes: the general nature of the basis of Revenue Support Grant distribution; the general nature of the basis of the calculation of ‘tariff’ and ‘top up’ payments that form part of the business rates retention system; the determination of the ‘central’ and ‘local share’ of business rates for 2025-26; the general nature of the basis of the distribution of section 31 grants alongside the settlement; and council tax referendum principles set through the settlement process.
On 28 November, the government published a policy statement setting out the government’s intentions for the 2025-26 settlement and the direction of travel to fix the foundations of local government in 2026-27 and beyond. This consultation builds on and invites views on the proposals set out in that statement for 2025-26 only.
The consultation can be found at Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 26 - GOV.UK
The closing date for responses is 15 January 2025.
The IRRV's response can be found here: https://www.irrv.net/documents/weblinks/2025/1/IRRV_Response_Consultation_Prov_LG_Finance_Settlement_2025.pdf