Sharp rise in children needing SEND support
The number of children in England approaching councils for special needs support has increased by almost a quarter in a year, with 170 young people now starting support plans each day.
The Editorial Team
Lack of transparency on levelling up funding
The Government has been accused of drawing up rules that allow billions of pounds of levelling up funding to be handed to their favoured areas, in a cross-party report from MPs.
‘Vicious cycle’ of children missing out on early support
Investment in early intervention support by councils in England halved from £3.8 billion to £1.9 billion between 2010/11 and 2020/21, according to a new report commissioned by a coalition of charities.
Measures to ease cost-of-living crisis
Measures to tackle soaring energy prices, including an energy bill discount of £400 for all UK households this October, have been announced by the Chancellor.
‘You can’t level up from Whitehall’
Strong local government should be at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery and has a key role to play in helping the most vulnerable in society, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey told the LGA’s annual conference.
‘Raise minimum smoking age’, says review
The minimum age for buying cigarettes should be raised by one year annually until no-one is able to take up smoking in England, an independent review into smoking has recommended.
Two-year funding settlement pledge
A plethora of former and current government ministers attended the LGA’s annual conference in late June.
Right to buy extended to housing associations
Around 2.5 million housing association tenants in England are to be given the right to buy their homes at a discounted price, with government pledging to build a new social home for every one sold.
Culture ‘vital’ to councils
‘Culture is not just a ‘bit of fun’ but a fundamental pillar of levelling up and vital to everything from improving physical and mental health to raising educational attainment.
Local taxpayers ‘subsidising’ festivals
Local taxpayers are heavily subsidising some commercial events because of outdated licensing fees, the LGA has said.