This is the fourth edition of The London Intelligence, a quarterly analysis of London's data. This issue includes a focus on local authority spending and finds that London’s local authorities have seen their expenditure fall significantly over the last 8 years.
The London Intelligence is a quarterly review of the capital’s demographic, housing, transport, economic and quality of life data.
Demography
The number of foreign workers arriving in the capital continued to fall, with little more than 61,500 National Insurance number registrations in the final three months of 2017. This was down over a quarter (-25.5 per cent) compared to the same period
in 2016.
Economy
In the final quarter of 2017, there were a record number of jobs in the capital – over 5.86 million. This was 1.7 per cent higher than in the same period in 2016. For the first time in a year, London’s job growth out-stripped the rest of the UK’s.
Infrastructure and housing
Average rents across London fell by 1.2 per cent in the year to March 2018, largely due to a slight oversupply in the market, with the largest falls in small flats, terraced houses, and homes in central and outer London.
Society
Local authorities housed nearly 55,000 households classified as homeless in temporary accommodation in Q4 of 2017. Despite this 1,600 who had a duty owed to them had not been housed by the end of 2017. This was over 70 per cent higher than the same period last year, and the highest point on record.
Heathcare and environment
London’s emergency departments, like the rest of the country, felt the full force of the cold
weather in March. 13.6 per cent of attendances to A&E were not dealt with in four hours, which was the second highest figure since 2011.
Local authority spending
London’s local authorities have seen their expenditure fall significantly over the last 8 years. Total budgeted service expenditure (excluding education, public health and police services) by London’s 33 councils fell from £7bn in 2010/11 to £6.3bn for 2017/18, a fall of 10.3 per cent.