The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
"Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide and councils stand ready to help the Government achieve its ambition of eliminating smoking in England by 2030.”
This strategy presents an opportunity to address and improve women’s health, making sure all women’s voices are heard and inequalities are understood and addressed. However, long term sustainable funding and a real terms increase in the public health budget are required.
“It is positive that there is now clarity that local teams are able to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping."
“Vaccinating as many people as possible is the only certain way we can get through this pandemic and it is inspiring to see so many volunteers offer their help alongside frontline staff up and down the country."
“Driving strong local action and tougher restrictions will add further pressure to already over-stretched council budgets. It remains imperative that the Government meets, in full, all the extra costs councils incur as a result of leading communities through the pandemic and income losses they suffer as a result."
"We have repeatedly argued that reductions to councils’ public health budgets is short-sighted and needs to be reversed otherwise they will undermine the objectives we all share to improve the public’s health."
Responding to announcements about adult social care and public health in today’s Spending Review, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated the crucial value of councils’ adult social care and public health services.
“Extra funding for children’s and adult social care will help address some short-term pressures, but we need a clear plan on the future of care and support and how we pay for it, which recognises low pay in the adult social care workforce and finally delivers parity of esteem with