The secretary of state's speech at the Local Government Association conference was poor, failing even to mention local government finance reform. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) should provide early clarity on reform in the absence of a Local Government Finance Bill and when it will be implemented. Without a Bill, revenue support grant has to exist. It seems that it cannot be zero across local government.

We await consultation on a standardised methodology for calculating housing need. It will prompt reactions from districts whose plans provide for lower levels of growth than in the model.