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Community Budgets - call for evidence

6 December 2011

The programme that the Government has developed has two arms:

Community Budgets for families with multiple problems which, the Government has said, aims to create better public services by bringing together all local priorities and public money so agencies can find the right solutions to issues in their area in a new and co-ordinated way. Following sixteen pioneer areas that put in place plans to support 10,000 families, around fifty more authorities will get Community Budgets this year and then at least a further sixty in 2012-13.

Four new Community Budgets pilots, which will include two Whole Place pilots that will explore how communities can have greater control over services through a single budget from Whitehall, as part of the Government's review into local government finances. As preparation for the inquiry later in the Parliament, the Committee has decided to take evidence on the operation of Community Budgets for families with multiple problems.

The Committee invites evidence from interested parties, particularly from local authorities involved in the original 16 pilot areas and from councils joining or intending to join the programme, on all aspects of Community Budgets for families with multiple problems, especially on:

• What are the most significant barriers that have been overcome, and what barriers remain to put in place the desired services;
• What are the emerging implications for local governance of services and who is accountable for the money spent through Community Budgets; and
• What lessons have been identified for operating more comprehensive community budgets and what lessons the troubled families pilots will have for Community Budgets in other policy areas, and the 'Whole Place' Community Budget pilots?

Memoranda addressing any or all of these issues are invited by Friday 16th December 2011.

More information about submission of evidence is contained in the Communities and Local Government Committee news item.

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