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Surveillance equipment
The Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner's annual report 2021/22 and analysis of the results of a survey of police forces on their use of overt surveillance camera systems in public places both highlight the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner's concerns about the use of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. We are looking to hold a roundtable / webinar that will likely include a threat assessment from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to support councils in their risk-based decision-making related to cyber security and procurement. Our free e-learning course on cyber resilience in local government supply chains provides procurement officers and contract managers with an in-depth introduction to cyber security.
If you would like further information, or have any concerns about surveillance equipment, please email rachel.phelps@local.gov.uk
Leisure centres and energy costs
The Minister for Sport, Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, attended the LGA Culture, Tourism and Sport Board on Monday to discuss pressures on leisure facilities. There was a commitment on all sides to ensuring that the contribution of leisure facilities to health, wellbeing, education and water safety is recognised across Government. However, the Minister was clear that there was no possibility of making leisure centres eligible for the extra energy relief support announced in January. Instead, he focused on the importance of adopting innovative measures, like using computer servers to heat pools, and the need to decarbonise the estate – although he recognised that much of the estate needs replacing and cannot be adapted for energy-saving measures.
Taxi licensing
The Secretary of State for Transport recently wrote to licensing authorities to inform them that the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals (NR3) has been officially designated as the database to be used in compliance with the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Act 2022. This is a welcome development. In 2018, the LGA funded and set up the NR3 register to address the issue of taxi drivers losing a licence in one area but then applying for a licence in another without declaring their previous licensing history. Before the introduction of NR3, there was no central database of drivers' histories of revocations and refusals, and local authorities had to rely on applicants to self-disclose this information. As a result, crucial intelligence could be missed, posing a potential risk to public safety.
‘Help to Grow’ campaign and website launched to support UK businesses
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has unveiled a new website to help UK businesses. Help to Grow – "everything you need to know to start a business, grow your business or get exporting" – is aimed at upskilling large and small businesses by helping them to:
- learn new skills
- reach more customers
- boost profits
- find, access and use the information and support they need in one place.
Councils are encouraged to share this page with local businesses.
Businesses urged to prepare for packaging waste reforms
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced that reporting requirements for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging come into force this week. EPR for packaging will make firms that supply household packaging responsible for the costs of dealing with packaging waste. Producers will be required to pay an EPR fee towards the costs of collecting and managing household packaging waste, currently borne by councils. All obligated packaging producers in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland must also collect information on the amount and type of packaging they have supplied during 2023, with reforms to follow soon in Wales. Producers with a turnover of greater than £2 million and who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging each year must report this information to the Environment Agency twice a year. The first reports must be submitted from 1 October.
Councils are encouraged to share this information with local businesses.
E-senders information required for new procurement portal
We are working with the Cabinet Office on the new procurement portal being introduced as part of the Procurement Act later this year. The Cabinet Office has been engaging with organisations that automatically post contract notices to the 'Find a Tender' service. Colleagues have already been in contact with this list of e-sender organisations – supporting them to ensure their readiness for the new system. If there are any other e-senders used by councils that are not on this list we would be grateful if you could email us at productivity@local.gov.uk with their name and, if possible, a link to their website.
LGA strategic supplier relationships project
On behalf of councils, we engage regularly with local government strategic suppliers to monitor council contracts awarded, share prices (where applicable), and to share news. We do this so that we can:
- understand issues facing key local government markets
- look at ways of reducing costs, improving insights, and developing better, more strategic relationships
- form a fundamentally different relationship with suppliers that will focus on their ability to be innovative, add value and be transparent across the whole of local government rather than individual contracts.
We originally chose suppliers who had the most council clients with the biggest overall spend, but we are interested to know whether you think we are focusing on the correct suppliers.
Please take five minutes to complete this short form asking you to state which strategic suppliers you think we should be focusing on for this project, by Friday 17 March.
LGA National Construction Conference (Leeds)
Tuesday 7 March, 9.15am–3.30pm | Horizon Leeds, 2 Brewery Wharf, Kendall Street, Leeds LS10 1JR
Procurement Reform Conference (Manchester)
Tuesday 14 March, 8.30am–4.00pm | Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 4PH
Sustainability in council services (show and tell)
Thursday 16 March, 10.30am–12.00pm | Zoom
Solar projects – business case validation and investment (Net Zero Go innovator workshop)
Thursday 16 March, 1.30pm–3.00pm | Microsoft Teams
Local Government Procurement Expo (LGPE) 2023
Thursday 27 April | Novotel London West (Hammersmith), International Centre, 1 Shortlands, London W6 8DR
The Social Value Conference 2023 – 'Towards a Social Value economy'
Tuesday 13–Wednesday 14 June | Church House Westminster, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3AZ
The LGA Procurement team manages several LGA webpages dedicated to your needs. Please email guy.head@local.gov.uk if you would like any information added to our webpages:
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