Local councils have played a critical role during pandemic.

Today @RishiSunak ensured they have the resources they need next year to tackle Covid-19, deliver great public services and help their communities to recover and prosper.

Here are a few highlights.

This settlement provides for a 4.5% increase in core spending power for councils to £51 billion.

It comes on top of a 4.4% increase this year - itself the best settlement in 10 years, commanding cross party support.

It also provides £3 billion next year for exceptional Covid-19 costs.

And that comes on top of over £7 billion of addition funding to councils for Covid-19 expenditure this year (and rising with comprehensive schemes to compensate for sales, fees, charges and other losses).

Building on the success of the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, we will establish a £4 billion #LevellingupFund to invest in places and everyday infrastructure.

There is also £220 million for communities ahead of the launch of the UKSPF

Councils will play an integral role in all.

Our determination to ending roughsleeping remains as strong as ever and we’re backing it with £254m of additional funding for councils - building on the record £700m we spent this year.

#EveryoneIn and #Protect are world class programmes being delivered by local councils.

After the passage of the landmark Domestic Abuse Act we are making good on our promise to fully fund its implementation with £125m of new funding.

We’re working with local councils to tackle this horrific crime and support the victims of #DomesticAbuse

We are continuing to support the Troubled Families programme with £165 million for local councils to provide intensive support to families facing multiple interconnected problems across England.

We’re providing local councils with £670 million of additional grant funding to help them support the more than 4 million households that are least able to afford council
tax payments during this challenging period.

We’ve established a £7 billion Housebuilding Fund to support local councils and communities to build homes and deliver infrastructure.

This comes on top of the £12.2 billion Affordable Homes Programme.

And the New Homes Bonus continues, supporting local councils once again.