16. To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance her Department is providing to local authorities to deal with the current economic situation; and if she will make a statement. (236279)

The Government are providing continued investment for local authorities to enable them to deliver effective services, with an additional £8.91 billion in Government grant from 2008-09 to 2010-11 as part of the first three-year settlement for councils. This increase in funding and greater predictability will allow councils to cope with the pressures they face as a result of the current economic climate.