‘Tougher sentences for loan sharks’
Debt enquiries have hit a record high, with 12,652 people a week seeking help for problem debt across the UK – the equivalent of one person every 48 seconds.
Cash and devo boost for towns
The Prime Minister has committed more than £1.3 billion of extra funding to support 100 towns across England and help improve transport, broadband and cultural infrastructure.
Communications health check
The LGA has launched a new self-assessment tool for councils to check the effectiveness of their communications.
Joint scrutiny of health services
Many members of health overview and scrutiny committees will feel that their role is a complex task. In my experience, this area of scrutiny becomes even more demanding when there is a joint committee, involving a number of local authorities, to scrutinise health services across a large area.
More investment needed in health and care
We will wait to see if the one-off £1.8 billion funding pledge for NHS hospital equipment and upgrades is worth the paper it’s written on.
Brexit, devolution and funding: the challenges ahead
With his premiership now well under way, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has some huge challenges ahead of him, not least Brexit.
Tackling climate change
I was delighted to hear Boris Johnson, our new Prime Minister, affirm that action to address climate change is at the ‘absolute core’ of the Government’s priorities.