Highlights
The LGA was mentioned 10 times in Parliament this week.
Council response to coronavirus
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak MP, gave evidence to the House of Commons Treasury Committee. The Chancellor outlined the Government’s financial package to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted councils' roles in this, including in disseminating the Hardship Fund and other grants to individuals and businesses. Mr Sunak said that the money from the Hardship Fund would be deployed to councils for local council tax support schemes. The Chancellor also said that the Government was working to free up capacity in the NHS to deal with the outbreak and that this may impact on social care and have cost implications for councils.
For more information get in touch with iredia.oboh@local.gov.uk.
The Budget
The Chancellor’s Budget was debated in both Houses of Parliament this week, with MPs and Peers outlining a range of areas of interest to local government. In the Commons, MPs highlighted councils' public health duties and that they were on the front line in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. They urged the Government to publish the Public Health Grant immediately. In the House of Lords, Lord Tunnicliffe (Labour) referred to the LGA’s adult social care funding analysis during Peers consideration of the Budget.
For more information get in touch with iredia.oboh@local.gov.uk.
Public health
We briefed MPs ahead of the Opposition Day debate on local government responsibilities for public services MPs raised some of the challenges councils are facing in responding to COVID-19, particularly around maintaining adult social care services and ensuring staff can access personal protective equipment. Other issues discussed relating to coronavirus included homelessness, waste collection and caring for children when schools are closed. Local Government Minister, Luke Hall MP, and Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher MP, referenced that the LGA is working closely with Government to understand the effects of COVID-19 on the delivery of statutory services, including social care, and that the Government is committed to supporting councils.
For more information get in touch with jade.hall@local.gov.uk.
Housing Delivery Test
In a question on the Housing Delivery Test, LGA Vice-Presidents Baroness Thornhill (Liberal Democrats) and Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour) raised their concerns that councils do not have the powers to ensure that planning permissions, once granted, are built out. Responding on behalf of the Government, the Earl of Courtown, focused his response on the work of the planning advisory service and the need for councils to have updated action plans.
For more information get in touch with christopher.marchant@local.gov.uk.
Fire safety
On Thursday the Government introduced the Fire Safety Bill. The Bill will amend the Fire Safety Order 2005 to clarify that the responsible person or duty-holder for multi-occupied, residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire for the external walls of the building and entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts. This clarification will empower fire and rescue services to take enforcement action and hold building owners to account if they are not compliant. We welcomed the Fire Safety Bill and will be briefing ahead of its Second Reading.
For more information get in touch with jade.hall@local.gov.uk.
SEND
The House of Lords considered the Government’s review on Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND). Introducing the debate, former Home Secretary, Lord Blunkett (Labour), said that the Budget had failed to deal with the challenges facing children with SEND and their parents and called for additional funding to be set aside. Education Minister, Baroness Berridge, was unable to provide a timescale for the review but said that it would be comprehensive. She added that additional funding had been set aside to support education for children with SEND.
For more information get in touch with iredia.oboh@local.gov.uk.
Air quality
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions took place this week. Sara Britcliffe MP (Hyndburn, Conservative) asked what work is being done with local councils to reduce air pollution. In response, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow MP, highlighted the Government's £3.8 billion plan to improve air quality and said that local authorities have been empowered to address local air quality concerns within their community. MPs also discussed food shortages and the COVID-19 outbreak.
For more information get in touch with christopher.marchant@local.gov.uk.
PMQs
In Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP and Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn MP, focused on the Government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This included discussion about sick pay, support for businesses and private renters, and testing of NHS and social care staff. Backbench contributions ranged from schools, homelessness, food rationing and high streets.
For more information get in touch with laura.johnson@local.gov.uk.
Looking ahead
Monday 23 March
- Coronavirus Bill, all stages, House of Commons
- Home Affairs Questions, House of Commons
- Question on BAME students referred to Pupil Referral Units and ensuring they are able to re-enter mainstream education (Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, Crossbench), House of Lords
- Question on Government policy on catchment management for rivers and how it relates to natural flood defences (Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, Conservative), House of Lords
- Draft Buckinghamshire (Structural Changes) (Supplementary Provision and Amendment) Order 2020, for approval, House of Lords
- Finance Bill Sub-Committee, Finance Bill 2020, witnesses TBC, House of Lords
Tuesday 24 March
- Health and Social Care Committee, Coronavirus prepardness, evidence from Sarah Pickup, Deputy Chief Executive, LGA, House of Commons
- Coronavirus Bill, Second Reading, House of Lords
- HM Treasury (including Topical Questions), House of Commons
- Ten Minute Rule Motion, Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill (Caroline Lucas MP, Green), House of Commons
- Question on Government ability to operate in the event of a pandemic or a national emergency (Viscount Waverley, Crossbench), House of Lords
- Treasury Committee, The economic impact of coronavirus, evidence from Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, HM Treasury, House of Commons
- Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, The work of DEFRA and COVID-19 and food supply, evidence from George Eustice, Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Garry Lemon, Director of Policy, External Affairs and Research, Trussell Trust;, Andrew Opie, Director of Food Policy, British Retail Consortium, and Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive Officer, UK Hospitality, House of Commons
Wednesday 25 March
- Coronavirus Bill, Committee and Remaining Stages, House of Lords
- Question on social policy implications of widening health inequalities (Baroness Lister of Burtersett, Lab), House of Lords
- Question on the use of electric vehicles (Baroness Deech, Crossbench), House of Lords
Thursday 26 March
- Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Questions, House of Commons
- Debate on the establishment of a Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission (Lord Morgan, Labour), House of Lords
Friday 27 March
- Victims of Abuse (Support) Bill (Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat), House of Commons
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