Briefings and responses

A local, plan-led system is vital to ensure that councils and the communities they represent have a say over the way places develop.

The most recent test and trace figures prove again that councils’ public health teams, with their unique expertise and understanding of their communities, have more success in reaching complex close contacts of positive cases, where NHS Test and Trace has been unable to do so.

At the LGA we will be helping to celebrate and honour the accomplishments of black Britons by sharing councillor perspectives on the importance of Black History Month and the vital contributions of black councillors to our local communities.

The LGA has significant concerns with the Local Authorities (Borrowing and Investment) Bill which seeks to restrict the acquisition of land and property by councils outside their own boundaries. The Bill also seeks to limit local authorities’ investment in “commercial risk-taking enterprises” and limit council borrowing for non-core activities.

We welcome the introduction of the Fire Safety Bill (FSB) and hope it will be an important step in the right direction. We are concerned about some of the practicalities of the Bill, how it aligns with the building safety proposals the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is preparing, and the costs it may impose on councils and other building owners.

Local government needs a system that raises sufficient resources for local priorities in a way that is fair for residents and gives local politicians all the tools they need to be the leaders of their communities. For councils, it is also important that the tax system, including business rates, provides as much certainty as possible.

Local government is ready to work with the Government to achieve these objectives. However, the current proposals lack the detail that is needed for full debate and comment. This lack of detail means that there are wide-ranging concerns about how the proposals will work in practice.

In June 2020 the Local Government Association (LGA) conducted a consultation to gather views on its draft Model Member Code of Conduct as part of its work on supporting the sector to continue to aspire to high standards of leadership and performance. Responses to the consultation were gathered through an online questionnaire as well as by email via a dedicated inbox.

Investing in early intervention and prevention initiatives is vital, in order to help prevent serious violent crime, and knife crime. The Youth Endowment Fund is a welcome investment in youth diversionary schemes, but it cannot replace core local government funding in youth services.

The internet has created a powerful medium for the exploitation and abuse of children on an international scale and makes it harder to monitor abuse and bullying. Social media has provided a platform for the sharing of harmful images and information affecting self-esteem, self-image and mental health. These issues must be tackled on a local to national to international level.