The presentation of the cuts by the coalition government appears less severe that it is in reality because Eric Pickles had presented percentages based on overall Council spending, which includes their income from Council tax. He said that no Council would lose more than 8.9% of its spending in 2011-12 or 2012-13. The cut in government grant is actually more severe.
As you can see below Swindon appears to see its revenue spending decline by only 5.88% over the two years, but it loses 19.11% of the grant it receives from the government. The appearance is also skewed by the fact that we will receive £2 million for each of these two years of money from the NHS to support social care. This figure is unlikely to be sufficient given the fact that NHS work will transfer over to the Council, and pressure to release people from the hospital to their homes carried a cost for the Council.
The cut will, of course, have a greater impact because there is no account taken of inflation over this period, and Council tax will be frozen as well.
Swindon Council Government spending settlement
| Figures in
£ millions |
Council Tax requirement | Formula Grant | Specific Grants | Revenue spending power | NHS funding to support social care |
| 2010-11 | £82 | £61.2 | £17.5 | £161.5 | N/A |
| 2011-12 | £82 | £54.1 | £18.7 | £157.6 | £2 |
| 2012-13 | No figure shown | £49.5 | £17.7 | £152 | £2 |
| -£11.7 | +£0.2 | -£9.5 | |||
| -19.11% | -5.88% |
Martin Wicks 