Coronavirus Bill

Councils are stepping up to play their role in supporting the national effort to tackle the Coronavirus. Acting as a fourth emergency service, local government is prioritising the most vulnerable to ensure they have the support they need.

View allPublic health articles

Key messages:

  • Councils are stepping up to play their role in supporting the national effort to tackle the Coronavirus. Acting as a fourth emergency service, local government is prioritising the most vulnerable to ensure they have the support they need.
  • This is essential work in the nation’s interests. We will of course step-up, but this emergency will stretch councils and our teams to the maximum as it will all public services. 
  • The Government announcement of £1.6 billion of new funding for local authorities to help them respond to Covid-19 pressures across all the services they deliver was positive. We are now working with the Government to clarify when councils will receive this funding, including the full details of any conditions attached to this new money. We will work with Government to target the balance of the initial £5 billion allocated to support public services.
  • Councils will do all they can to support local businesses through these difficult times and there are very significant risks to local economies and employment.  We welcome the Government’s very significant interventions with businesses, including those measures routed through councils. 
  • Councils will design new ways of supporting our communities. In order to do so, we need to re-prioritise certain public services. This Bill’s assistance with cutting unnecessary burdens and freeing up capacity in councils is positive.

Download the full briefing