The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
Cllr Anita Lower, the LGA’s FGM lead spokesperson and Chair of the Advisory Board at the National FGM Centre, responds to new annual figures on the number of identified cases of FGM in England.
Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, said: “Today’s announcements are positive steps towards ensuring that all children in care live in good quality homes that meet their needs and help them to thrive."
“Councils want the very best for the children in their care and care leavers. Regulating all accommodation for these young people up to the age of 18 is a positive step towards ensuring they live in the right homes for their needs."
"We want to work quickly with government to clarify the details of the funding, including how it will be distributed and any guidance on how it must be used."
“Rolling out a vaccine to tens of millions of people is a monumental task, so it is hugely encouraging to see the daily progress on rolling out the vaccine, and councils are in a strong position to support this, working with local health partners using their local knowledge to help ensure our most vulnerable residents are vaccinated as soon as possible.”
“Current legislation, which dates back to the 19th century, needs to be strengthened following well-documented child exploitation cases where taxi and PHV drivers have abused the trust placed in them. Any undue delay to implementing reforms risks public safety.”
“Currently, whether it is helping those impacted by the increasing cost of living, supporting those fleeing Ukraine and Afghanistan, looking after the vulnerable or building desperately needed homes and giving our younger generation the best start in life, councils stand ready to work with the government to provide the best possible help to those that need it."
Responding to the announcement that all new housing developments must meet local standards of beauty, quality and design, Cllr David Renard, housing spokesperson for the LGA, said:
“We look forward to seeing the details of the draft national design code and the new Office for Place. We want to continue to work with the Government to get these proposals right.
“Councils need to be at the forefront of a locally determined planning system which meets the housing needs and aspirations of their communities, and support proposals that go some way to facilitating that.
“Along with government, we