Local government finance statistics

Revenue Outturn and Revenue Budget is expenditure associated with running local authority services, such as salaries and wages, the purchase of goods such as books for schools and day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting and cleaning of buildings.

Capital Outturn and Capital Forecast is expenditure on investment in local authority services, mainly the provision, acquisition and enhancement of fixed assets such as land, buildings and vehicles.

Non-Domestic Rates are collected by each billing authority for each business within its area.

Council tax is a charge levied on each domestic dwelling for the provision of local authority services.  This includes elements for the county or county borough council, together with elements for the police authority and, if one exists, for the local community council.

Education expenditure is expenditure on nursery, primary, secondary and special schools including teacher costs, home to school transport and schools repairs and maintenance. Education expenditure also covers out of schools services such as youth service, community and further education.

Who are the key users?

We believe the key users of local government finance statistics are:

• Ministers and the Members Research Service in the National Assembly for Wales
• Her Majesty’s Treasury
• The Office for National Statistics
• Communities and Local Government
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
• Local government unitary authorities (elected members and officials)
• Students, academics and universities,
• Other areas of the Welsh Assembly Government
• Other government departments 
• Individual citizens and private companies.

What is the data used for?

The statistics are used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these include:

• Advice to Ministers
• Local Government Finance revenue settlement calculations
• Unitary authority comparisons and benchmarking
• Wales expenditure compared to other countries
• To inform debate in the National Assembly for Wales and beyond
• To assist in research in public expenditure issues
• Economic analysis.

Feedback

We actively encourage feedback of our statistics.  If you have any comments or queries, or if you don’t think the list adequately reflects the range of users and uses, then please contact us at: stats.finance@wales.gsi.gov.uk or fill out a feedback form.