Briefings and responses

This briefing outlines what the Act covers and how it will impact local government.

Councils want to work as partners with central government and Ofgem to tackle climate change with a focus on transitioning to net zero. Net zero can only be achieved with decarbonisation happening in every place across the country and this will require local leadership.

Our key point in responding to this consultation is that any transitional arrangements for 2023, whether part of the formal scheme or supplementary, should be announced no later than autumn 2022 when the draft list and provisional multiplier are announced. This is in order to make the process as smooth as possible for both ratepayers and billing authorities and allow time for any necessary software changes.

The previous reforms to the SEND system set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 have failed to achieve the goal of improving provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Placing children and young people at the centre of the SEND system was right, but the reforms set out in the Act were not supported by sufficient powers or funding to allow councils to meet the needs of children with SEND or hold health and education partners to account for their contributions to local SEND systems.

It is helpful to see Defra’s thinking on the scope of long-term environmental targets. As a next step, Defra needs to set out clear implementation plans with interim targets.

We broadly support measures that streamline and modernise the CPO process including flexibility surrounding the three-year time-limit in which a CPO can be used.

We are deeply concerned that the proposed risk-mitigation measures in clause 71 of the Bill potentially give the Secretary of State significant powers to intervene in a local authority. There is a danger that the formula-based approach outlined in the Bill could impact more widely than intended. It is vital that the Government undertakes full engagement with the sector, including full consultation before enacting the regulations arising from the Bill.

The LGA support the Government’s ambition to protect consumers from unfair pricing by enabling an extension of the price cap beyond 2023

The Local Government Association (LGA) supports the overall aims of the Online Safety Bill (OSB), which makes provisions for Ofcom to regulate certain internet services.

While councils have a statutory duty to ensure there is a school place for every child, they are currently not able to direct academies to expand school places or admit individual pupils. We are seeking a commitment from Government redress this discrepancy between councils’ duties and powers as soon as reasonably possible, by providing councils with sufficient backstop powers to direct academies to expand school places and admit individual pupils, within six months of the Act passing.