HCLG Committee publishes report calling for council tax reform and fiscal devolution
The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has published a report highlighting the growing disconnect between tax payments and the quality of council services. The Committee's report, ‘The Funding and Sustainability of Local Government Finance,’ has recommended reforming council tax, which it has described as England's most regressive tax. It calls for greater fiscal devolution, proposing that local authorities be empowered to set their own local taxes and revalue properties. Additionally, the report recommends replacing central government ringfencing with an outcomes-based accountability system. It also examines the pressures on local services, including adult social care, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and temporary accommodation.