Written questions

Local Government: Debt

Commons · Question 28262 · Tabled 8 Sep 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · Official record

Answered 15 Sep 2026

Question

Asked by Margaret Mullane

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the department has considered whether debt restructuring or cancellation will be offered to local authorities struggling with high levels of debt and interest rates.

Answer

Answered by Jim McMahon, 15 Sep 2026

The local government finance framework gives authorities wide freedoms to borrow and invest, enabling them to set their own capital strategies in response to local needs. It is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt in the normal course of busin...