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Government ignores flaws in population figures putting council services at risk
Threats to council run services caused by inaccurate population data have been ignored by central government.
Despite widespread distrust and proven failings in the Office for National Statistics' (ONS) new population data the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) has indicated that the government will use the inaccurate figures to allocate councils' grant over the next three years.
The figures, which the CLG will use in the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2008/09 to 2010/11, are substantially lower than previous population projections by almost 110,000 in 2008, over 120,000 in 2009 and almost 140,000 thousand lower in 2010.
New population counting methods used by the ONS have resulted in these 'losses' to the capital's population, which are easily the biggest cuts in the population of any region in the country.
These ONS figures, which don't adequately take account of the rapid and increasing scale of international migration into the capital, will be used to allocate how much money councils will receive for essential frontline services including social care and community safety for the next three years.
Commentating on the London boroughs' disappointment at CLG's announcement, Chairman of London Councils Councillor Merrick Cockell said:
"London Councils, alongside other organisations including the Bank of England, have highlighted drastic faults in these population statistics. If the government continues to refuse to admit the seriousness of these flaws, it will be disastrous for all the capital's council run services until 2011.
I call on government to urgently reassess the use of these ONS figures in the final announcement on the Local Government Finance Settlement this Thursday, which now threatens to lock boroughs into inadequate funding for the next three years."
Notes to editors
- The government provides local authorities with an annual grant through the Local Government Finance Settlement. This allocation has a significant impact on council budgets, the services local authorities provide and council tax levels.
- A number of boroughs have carried out research on their population including Newham, Brent and Westminster. In their most recent study Brent discovered over a 17,000 shortfall between their own population figures and ONS'.
For press enquiries please contact: Holly Sutton on 020 7934 9842 Holly.sutton@londoncouncils.gov.uk Fax 020 7934 9777
For non-media enquiries contact: London Councils, 59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL Tel 020 7934 9999 www.londoncouncils.gov.uk
