Following on from my question to the Local Government Minister on Monday (see here), and the letter I recently co-signed with 40 MP colleagues (see here), as part of my long-running campaign for fairer rural funding, I welcome the Government announcement yesterday of an additional £600 million to support local councils.

This includes:

• £500 million added to the Social Care Grant, a key investment for areas like Mid Norfolk where we have more elderly residents

• An overall increase in Core Spending Power for Local Government in England of 7.5% in cash terms (£4.5billion) – an above inflation increase

• A minimum 4% increase to the Core Spending Power of our local councils right here in Norfolk

• An extra £15million for the Rural Services Delivery Grant

• The establishment of an expert panel to advise the Government on financial sustainability in Local Government

I am delighted that the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Ministers have recognised the argument I and others have been making that local councils need more funding for local public services. This is a very welcome step.

However, I still recognise that there is more that needs to be done to properly fund and support public services (and households and businesses in general) in rural counties like Norfolk – where we have greater, often more expensive challenges, compared to our urban counterparts – particularly around fuel, transport and energy.

Rest assured, I remain determined to do all I can to be Mid Norfolk’s strongest voice on these key issues and ensure Government makes that right.

To learn more about my ongoing campaign, please visit my ‘Fighting for a Rural Premium and Fairer Funding for Rural Public Services’ campaign page here.

To read more about the Government announcement yesterday, please click here.