Council Tax: Birmingham
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2024 to Question 11925 on Council Tax: Greater London, and with reference to the Urgent Question on Council Tax on 14 November 2024, Official Report, columns 907-914, what estimate her Department has made of the average Birmingham City Council Council Tax rate in 2025-26, expressed as (a) a Band D amount in pounds and (b) the percentage difference from 2024-25, in the context of her Department's local government core spending power estimate of £68,459m for that year and the consequential assumptions on council tax referendum principles for 2025-26.
Answered by Jim McMahon
Council tax levels are decided by each council following the local government finance settlement. As such the government cannot comment on individual council tax levels or band D rates. The Local Government Finance Policy Statement published on 28 November sets out proposed council tax referendum principles for 2025 to 2026 of up to 3% and an adult social care precept of 2% for all local authorities responsible for adult social care services. This is in line with the previous government’s policy for 2024-25, and together with central government grant and locally-retained business rates provides a real-terms increase in core spending power of around 3.2% next year. The full statement can be found at: Local government finance policy statement 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.
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