To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to assist local authorities to meet the increased fees payable in public law care proceedings. (206756)

As I made clear in the debate on the Local Government Finance Report 2008-09 on 4 February this year, Official Report, column 729, the spending pressure on councils as a result of the transfer to local authorities of the full funding for family law cases, is included within the Formula Grant for authorities. Overall Government grant to local authorities increases by 1.5 per cent. a year in real terms over the CSR07 period, taking the investment in local services since we took office to 45 per cent. in real terms up to 2010-11.