Briefings and responses

Councils work hard to support children with a range of vulnerabilities, including those who are eligible for free school meals

LGA submission

Whilst councils welcomed the support for children on free school meals and the £20 per week uplift in Universal Credit (UC), which helped to protect many families most at risk, the best way to support families long-term is with an integrated approach to addressing poverty and disadvantage. While we agree that Free School Meals (FSM) have a vital part to play, it is important that ‘food’ is not seen as the solution to ‘poverty’.

This review is timely and much needed in light of the challenges posed to the visitor economy by the pandemic, which has exacerbated pre-existing weaknesses as well as creating significant new issues.

This briefing details the new Bills of relevance to local government in the Queen's Speech and outlines our local government priorities.

This page summarises the Local Government Association (LGA) positions, priorities and concerns on the wide-ranging proposals in the white paper.

The changes in the 2003 Local Government Act and 2003 Capital Finance Regulations that introduced the Prudential Code were a major step in freeing local government from centrally imposed borrowing controls

The Treasury Management Code of Practice (“Treasury Management Code”) was introduced in 2001/02. Local authorities are required to “have regard” to the code in setting up and approving their Treasury Management arrangements.

From 1 June 2021 the LeDer process is changing.

It is essential that the new Act clearly recognises the local leadership role of councils and identifies the roles and responsibilities of councils in respect of both statutory and non-statutory mental health duties, working in partnership with the NHS and local voluntary and community services.