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“We support the ambition of the independent review of children’s social care to make sure children, including those in care, grow up in loving, stable and safe environments.

“It is absolutely vital that the Autumn Statement ensures that children’s services are adequately funded so councils can meet this rising demand and ensure children and their families get the support they need, as soon as they need it."

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responds to latest ONS figures published today on teenage pregnancies in England and Wales for 2017.

Responding to the latest ONS figures published today on teenage pregnancies in England and Wales for 2018, which shows that the conception rate for women under 18 has decreased for the eleventh year in a row, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The halving of teenage pregnancy rates over the last two decades is a tribute to the hard work of councils and their partners, in helping to improve the health, wellbeing and life chances of young people. “We need to build upon these achievements and tackle health inequalities in more

"This reinforces the need for new and long-term significant funding for children’s services, which are fast approaching a tipping point and face a funding gap of £3 billion by 2025 just to keep services running at current levels."

“Unless we solve this crisis, today’s obese children will become tomorrow’s obese adults whose years of healthy life will be shortened by a whole host of health problems including diabetes, cancer and heart disease.”

“With sustainable, long-term funding as part of the Spending Review, councils can also invest in the early intervention and prevention services which provide vital support to young people.”

“Since 2010 councils have created more than 800,000 extra new places, and more than 85 per cent of these were in schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding."

"To make sure every school is adequately funded, the Government should provide greater certainty over future funding by introducing three-year budgets, and ensure that the overall level is sufficient for all schools."

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, responds to the latest special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) statistics published today by the Department for Education.