Briefings and responses

The LGA has significant concerns with the Local Authorities (Borrowing and Investment) Bill which seeks to restrict the acquisition of land and property by councils outside their own boundaries. The Bill also seeks to limit local authorities’ investment in “commercial risk-taking enterprises” and limit council borrowing for non-core activities.

On 27 February 2018 council funding was discussed at Treasury Questions. The amount of money local authorities’ hold in their reserves was debated as part of this session. This briefing sets out the LGA’s key messages on the subject and our analysis which is based on the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government data.

Councils have a strong track record in welcoming asylum seeking children.

Local authorities lead on work with local partners and local communities to help families settle into their new homes.

Devolution within England is the most effective way to create jobs, build homes, strengthen healthy communities and protect the vulnerable.

The UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) is going to have a significant impact on local government, creating challenges that will need to be addressed, but also opportunities to do things differently.

Amendment statements for border checks; family reunification; local government consultation and devolution.

2.1 The Local Government Association welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Government’s consultation on the Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021 to 2024. The following submission outlines our key points on behalf of our membership, although local authorities will also look to respond directly to this consultation.

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.

The LGA welcomes the Gambling Related Harm APPG’s inquiry on the Gambling Act Review White Paper. However, we wanted to share some broader reflections on the white paper which we hope will be of assistance to the inquiry.