§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding the Government have provided to citizens advice bureaux in each of the last 10 years; what steps he is taking to ensure that the Citizens Advice Bureaux network is resourced to provide services to citizens excluded from conventional financial advice; and what recent discussions he has had with local authorities about the level of funding to citizens advice bureaux. [135874]
§ Phil HopeThis Government value highly the contribution that citizens advice bureaux (CABx) make to local communities. We believe that these services are best provided in a way which ensures that they meet the needs of the local community. Decisions about grant funding for individual CABx are therefore for the relevant local authority to make in the light of local priorities. The Local Government Finance Settlement 2003–04 provided local authorities with some £43 billion of general grant; this is an increase of 25 per cent. in real terms since 1997. In addition to this the Department for Trade and Industry provides funding for the national organisation of citizens advice directly.
I have not had any recent discussions with local authorities about the level of funding for citizens advice bureaux.