On behalf of its membership, the cross-party LGA regularly submits to Government
consultations, briefs parliamentarians and responds to a wide range of parliamentary inquiries. Our recent
responses to government consultations and parliamentary briefings can be found here.
On 7 November His Majesty The King set out the Government’s agenda for the next Parliamentary session. This briefing details the new Bills of relevance to local government and outlines our local government priorities.
The Home Office is consulting with councils on a cap on safe and legal routes to the UK with a deadline of 15 December. Please read some views from the LGA to inform responses.
Around 50 per cent of heat network customers in the UK are living in social housing , including council housing. It is critical that councils’ experiences and concerns about heat networks are taken fully into account as regulation is developed to make sure it works for those it is trying to support.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the scope and effectiveness of section 75 arrangements. We have chosen not to answer all 30 specific questions included in the supporting document to the call for evidence. Instead, the high-level views of the LGA about the scope and effectiveness of section 75 financial flexibilities are summarised in paragraphs 5 – 19.
Despite welcoming additional funding announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement and 2023/24 Local Government Finance Settlement councils are still under intense financial pressure. Councils face ongoing inflationary and pay pressures alongside spiking demand and market challenges in areas such as children’s social care and temporary accommodation.
The Bill seeks to remove the possibility for public bodies, including councils, to campaign against, boycott, seek divestment from, or sanction a particular territory internationally, unless endorsed by the Government’s own foreign policy.
Councils are extremely disappointed that the Government has removed Lords amendment 82, which would have enabled local planning authorities to set fees for planning applications at a level that covers the cost of processing them.
The LGA welcomes the long-awaited Renters’ Reform Bill which will help to deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector (PRS). The Bill introduces a range of reforms to achieve this, including abolishing unfair Section 21 “no fault” evictions; ending the system of assured shorthold tenancies; creating a new register of PRS landlords and property portal to improve data on the PRS and drive up standards across the sector; and establishing an Ombudsman for the PRS to help tenants and landlords to resolve disputes.
The LGA’s response sets out our views on the draft regulations that will set up the new system of producer responsibility for packaging. This will require producers and manufacturers to pay councils for the cost of dealing with used packaging in household waste and recycling.