Briefings and responses

We are calling for the devolution of the bus service operator grant and for all councils to be given the ability to franchise local services.

In the previous two years of the Housing Advisers Programme, we have funded over 100 councils to help councils build homes, reduce homelessness, plan for population ageing, understand the student housing market and increase supply of modular housing.

The Bill does not consider how this rural growth component fits into the proposed land management system, or how it will link to the forthcoming UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). This funding is too important to rural areas to fall through the gaps of the new system. We would recommend the Government clarify, through this legislation and guidance, how new growth funding arrangements will be incorporated into post-EU funding.

Councils are continuing to tell us that pressures on the High Needs funding block is one of the most serious financial challenges that they are currently dealing with and we are calling on the Government to provide councils with long-term certainty on levels of high needs funding.

The NHS does not operate in isolation. The commitment for increased funding for the NHS will only be maximised if there is an equivalent scale of investment in social care, public health and prevention services that both improve people’s health, wellbeing and independence and relieve pressure on frontline NHS services.

By devolving the skills and employment system we could better match supply with employer demand. The LGA’s Work Local proposals sets out a vision for a localised service, which would enable communities to design an offer customised to the individual need of their area.

Local government continues to lead the way in the public sector to improve outcomes for people while making savings for the public purse. The LGA’s Productivity Experts Programme forms part of our sector-led improvement (SLI) offer. Since 2012, we have worked with over 174 councils contributing to £194 million worth of savings and income generation.

In the two and a half years since the Grenfell Tower fire, councils have worked with the Government to identify dangerous Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding on both social and private housing blocks.

The LGA is supportive of efforts to increase the uptake of low emission vehicles.

On 20 December, the Government announced the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2020/21.