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Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community and Wellbeing Board, responds to the Prime Minister’s announcement to create a new Office for Veterans’ Affairs.

“Veterans can face significant barriers to accessing services and tailoring them to meet their needs is vital to ensure they’re not left behind."

"There are two million veterans across the country and councils provide a range of services that help them and their families, including housing, money advice, employment support and health and wellbeing services."

“Local government workers should always be respected and valued – even more so in these challenging times – when they are needed more than ever."

“We are pleased that Government is providing additional funding for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. This is positive recognition of the valuable role councils play in providing support to children and young people starting a new life in the UK."

“Ensuring councils have a range of tools at their disposal will allow them to work quickly to help suppress the virus in their communities and take action before it is too late."

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, councils have provided crucial local leadership and delivered services that have been absolutely essential in protecting lives and livelihoods, and keeping communities running.

"It is good that councils have been given the delivery responsibilities for this scheme. They are at the heart of their local communities and are best-placed to bring together partners to deliver improvements to their local areas."

"Councils will want to continue to work closely with government to ensure the rights and needs of children are at the heart of these new arrangements. These need to enable local partners to give children the help they need, including mental and physical health support and appropriate education."

The Government must continue to work closely with councils, the community and voluntary sector and other key local partners to co-design this sponsorship scheme so it can move at pace and scale."