Briefings and responses

The joint Select Committee report into improving air quality is positive. The Government should consider the Committees’ warning that the support currently available to local authorities is inadequate.

Adult social care is a vital council service that helps to transform people’s quality of life. It supports adults of all ages with a range of different needs and their carers. There cannot be a sustainable NHS without a sustainable adult social care system.

The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced significant reforms to the support provided by councils and other agencies to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).

Councils want their residents to live in homes that are decent, safe and secure, and councils’ housing teams work hard to ensure homes are fit for purpose.

Supporting and improving the wellbeing and rights of carers is a priority for local government.

The planning process needs developers, councils and local communities to work together to create effective partnerships. The earlier in the planning process these relationships are built, the more likely it is that positive outcomes will be achieved.

Alongside Council Tax, business rates represent the largest source of income for councils. In 2018/19 business rates are forecast to raise a total of £24.8 billion, of which about £12 billion is expected to be retained by councils under the current 50 per cent scheme.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert the entire body of EU law into UK law, with the intention of allowing businesses to continue operating and providing fairness to individuals, knowing the rules have not changed when the UK leaves the EU.

Building cohesive communities can only be successful with an in-depth understanding of that locality. Councils’ position at the heart of their communities, provides them with a unique vantage point and the knowledge to both respond, and build resilience, to integration challenges, alongside local partners.

The new Domestic Abuse Bill has the potential to make important changes to help improve the lives of victims of domestic abuse.