Increase in local government borrowing identified

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Local government in net borrowing rose from £1.1bn to £1.3bn between September 2018 and September 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In a statistical release based on figures for England, Wales and Scotland, the ONS revealed that local government net expenditure rose from £4.2bn to £4.9bn over the period.

Receipts rose from £3.8bn to £4.1bn.

However, the release said that so far in 2019/20, an increase in current transfers from central to local government has reduced local government borrowing by £0.1bn.