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.
“It’s long past time for a taxi licensing regime fit for the 21st Century. We urge the Government to look at ways in which legislation can be updated, to support councils in their efforts to keep residents as safe as possible.”
Responding to the Government’s announcement creating an Office for Product Safety and Standards, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“The LGA is pleased that its call for more support from government for local trading standards teams around product safety has been answered.
“Today’s announcement is a positive step towards making sure that those teams are able to protect our residents from faulty electrical equipment, such as tumble dryers or fridge freezers, which can cause fires which can destroy life and devastate
“With test fails affecting buildings owned by a range of different landlords across the country, it is clear that the current building regulation system has failed. We need a commitment from government that it will meet the exceptional cost to councils of removing and replacing cladding and insulation on high-rise blocks as a result.”
More than two scams and attempted scams a day are being reported to some councils as they crack down on criminals running shams ranging from fake online dating and disability parking badge sites to bogus diamond investment schemes and weight-loss devices.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, is urging people to report all scams which costs UK citizens nearly £10 billion a year.
Fraud, which includes scams, is now the most common type of crime, accounting for 3.6 million crimes in England and Wales last year. But this could be the tip of
“Councils will continue to get on with what they need to do to ensure people are safe in their homes. This includes replacing materials on high-rise blocks affected by these fire safety tests."