Manchester City Council told us that government support has not fully mitigated the impact of the pandemic, and the average pressure on next year’s budget is £15 million across the 10 authorities in Greater Manchester and £32 million across the eight core cities.45 In written evidence, SIGOMA told us that despite government support, member councils would be “assessing the viability” of the services they provide in 2021–22.46 CIPFA noted that in the same financial year, council tax will rise b...

Manchester City Council told us that government support has not fully mitigated the impact of the pandemic, and the average pressure on next year’s budget is £15 million across the 10 authorities in Greater Manchester and £32 million across the eight core cities.45 In written evidence, SIGOMA told us that despite government support, member councils would be “assessing the viability” of the services they provide in 2021–22.46 CIPFA noted that in the same financial year, council tax will rise by 4.3% on average, representing a funding gap of £217 million relative to the government’s assumption in the local government finance settlement.47 The S Type: conclusion | Number: 19 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2021 5.2 The department believes it has made a realistic assessment of the impact of the pandemic on local authorities and the resultant risk of service reduc