News

Families face the prospect of seeing more children’s centres close in their community after figures analysed by the Local Government Association showed councils have been forced to cut their spending on the service by nearly a quarter in four years.

Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, responds to the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies on the devolution of local taxation to councils.

Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, responds to the National Evaluation of the Troubled Families Programme.

Referrals of potential victims of modern slavery made by councils have soared ninefold in five years, new figures show, highlighting the demands on local authority services already under significant pressure.

“Our survey shows that councils up and down the country want to build more good quality, affordable homes that meet the strategic housing needs of their local communities."

“With councils still facing a funding gap of more than £3 billion in 2019/20, it is disappointing that the Chancellor has missed the opportunity to use today’s Spring Statement to provide further desperately-needed funding for our under-pressure local services this year.

“Ahead of the forthcoming Spending Review, we are urging government to give councils control over the Bus Service Operators’ Grant, and properly fund national free bus pass schemes, which could help us maintain our essential bus services, reduce congestion and protect vital routes.”

The LGA has produced a toolkit aimed at helping those who have other responsibilities, such as looking after children, caring for an older relative or who want to start a family, to be councillors and represent their communities.

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board at the LGA, which runs the National FGM Centre in partnership with Barnardo’s, responds to the updated strategy to end violence against women and girls, published by government today.

“With a 26 per cent fall in apprenticeship starts between 2015/16 and 2017/18 and many employers still struggling to spend their funds nearly two years after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, further reform to enable greater local flexibility is desperately needed."