Briefings and responses

This paper sets out the Local Government Association’s proposed responses to the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on the Social Work Bursary and the Education Support Grant. The consultation is being conducted through an online survey, and the response must be submitted via the official digital form. The draft positions provided here reflect the LGA’s analysis of the proposals and sector feedback and will be entered into the online consultation form once approval has been granted.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government held a consultation from 12 February to 26 March 2026 on proposed geographies for producing spatial development strategies.

This briefing sets out the amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill that the LGA will be supporting at report stage in the House of Lords.

Local government fully shares the Government's commitment to significantly boost housebuilding and stands ready to work constructively to deliver the 1.5 million safe, decent, and genuinely affordable homes.

Our response to the Milburn call for evidence sets out our vision for what can make the biggest difference to helping young people reach their potential.

The Regulator of Social Housing held a consultation from 9 December 2025 to 3 March 2026 on changes to consumer standards and requirements, following a direction from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

While councils have legal responsibilities to promote and maintain cohesion as set out in the Public Sector Equality Duty, it cannot be reduced to compliance alone. Cohesive communities are also resilient communities.

From delivering new homes, to promoting economic growth or improving the health and life chances of the most vulnerable in our society, councils are the key to solving our biggest local and national challenges.

This call for evidence follows previous Transforming Business Rates papers. There are a number of key summary points that are important to make including a system that raises sufficient resources for local priorities, adhere to the principles of sufficiency and transparency, compliance with, and avoidance of, business rates and property continues to provide a good basis for a local tax on business.

A consultation on reforms to the SEND system, SEND reform: putting children and young people first, was published alongside the Schools White Paper and sets out a broader set of reforms which build on the proposals set out in chapter 3 of the White Paper. The LGA will be working closely with member councils in the coming weeks to shape our consultation response.