Town halls should work with other public bodies, such as NHS trusts, to manage the financial burden created by new immigrants within localities, the cohesion minister has said. Speaking on 15 April, Sadiq Khan said councils could use cash from the Whitehall-funded migration impacts fund in ways which created benefits beyond local government. ‘Just as, at national level, we are working more strategically, so this fund could have an even bigger impact where local services work together,' he said. ‘I will be encouraging local areas to think whether there are ways they could get together, for example, to form a pool of interpreters to support those with limited English in very difficult circumstances.' Communities secretary, Hazel Blears, set up the MIF three weeks ago, offering councils facing the greatest immigration-related funding pressures support totalling £70m over two years. Ms Blears said the fund would be financed by a new levy on immigration visas. One senior local government source said councils would be keen to share the benefits of the additional cash – within reason. ‘Local government lobbied hard for the introduction of extra government support to cover the costs of immigration locally. ‘Both local government and Whitehall are keen on ‘locality-wide' finance mechanisms. But some council executives will not want to water-down the benefit of the MIF to departments facing significant budget pressures.'
