As a former local government chief executive, I am aware local authority revenue recovery is an essential part of plugging the current hole in council finances and delivering properly funded local services.

According to national newspaper reports, since March 2020 more than 4.5 million payments to lenders have been deferred. Those deferrals are now coming to an end and central Government funds for tax relief are running out, which means councils will now be ramping up efforts to recover some £4.4bn in arrears as identified by the Centre for Social Justice's Taking Control for Good report.