LGA Weekly News Update
Monday 2 August 2010
Shaping the Spending Review
Following the far-reaching public sector reform proposals put forward by more than 45 councils, we will be working with the Treasury and other Government departments throughout August to turn those ambitions into a roadmap to deliver place-based budgets. We hope Ministers will take up our plans in the concluding phase of their spending review in October.
In September, we intend to set out the LGA's detailled plans for change in a major document we hope will support our intensive discussions with the Government. We will also be working closely with the Cross-Party Communities and Local Government Select Committee during its new inquiry into localism.
Looking back to last week, we had a hugely successful Chairman's Summit on our offer to Government. It was attended by 84 senior local government figures and others including Communities Secretary Eric Pickles MP, Cabinet Office Minister Nick Hurd MP, CLG Minister Andrew Stunnell MP and several other key MP's.
We are keeping up the pressure to turn our ambitious proposals into reality - John Ransford
Leading the debate on Education
Baroness Ritchie, Chair of our Children and Young People Programme Board, led very important talks with Education Secreatry Michael Gove MP last week as part of our work to propmote councils' strategic role in education. We will work over the summer with the Department for Education to set out exactly what our strategic commissioning role for education will include and what powers we will need. This should inform the Schools' White Paper in the autumn.
As the Academies Bill went through Parliament before the summer recess we secured important reassurances from the Government that academies will have to abide by both admissions and exclusions protocols, ensuring that all children have fair access to a place in a local school.
Property Search Fees
Last Wednesday, DefRA sent a letter to Chief Executives advising them that the fee for a personal search of the Local Land Charges Register (LLCR) would be abolished with effect from 17 August and that councils should stop charging for personal searches of the LLCR with immediate effect. The letter fails to address key concerns for the sector so we are seeking clarification from Government as a matter of urgency on a number of key issues. We will contine to press for an alternative charging regime to enable councils to recover the costs of providing the service.
Taking action on private reneted housing
Tomorrow, Local Government Regulation (formerly LACORS) launches a major project to help councils simplify the licensing of houses in multiple occupation. They are bringing together specialists from 23 councils plus other stakeholders.
Working with social enterprises
On Wednesday, Local Government Improvement and Development (formerly IDeA) hosts a workshop with Local Partnerships, in Liverpoorl, to explore the implications of transferring over parts of existing services to become independent social enterprises.
You said....
Help councils fulfil their roles dealing with flooding.
We Did...
Secured £2 million in additional funding to support efforts to tackle housing