Schools should be ‘top priority’
Education should be “prioritised over other sectors” if the country goes into lockdown again, Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield has said in a new briefing paper.
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Extra funding for buses and school transport
A further £256 million of emergency funding to help keep bus and tram operators running during the coronavirus pandemic has been announced by the Department for Transport.
Social care ‘needs extra winter funding’
Social care needs extra funding to help it deal with the aftermath of coronavirus and prepare for winter, alongside a long-term funding settlement, according to a new report from the NHS Confederation.
Social care principles unveiled
Adult social care needs a reset and must not simply revert back to the way it was prior to the pandemic, the LGA has said.
Spending review 2020 kicks off
Securing the long-term sustainability of local services must be the top priority of the Government’s 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, the LGA has said.
‘Keep planning local’
As first was going to press, a policy paper was expected from the Government setting out its proposals to radically overhaul the planning system.
Local lockdown powers introduced
New powers have been announced for councils to close specific premises, cancel events and close public spaces, to help tackle coronavirus outbreaks.
Council investments ‘pose risk’
Some councils have exposed themselves to commercial investments that risk cuts in local services and a big bill for local taxpayers, according to the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee.
‘No care workers on health visa’
Social care workers will not be able to use the new health and care visa to enter the UK via the Government’s points-based immigration system, which is to be introduced next year.
EU money ‘going unspent’
More than £730 million in vital EU cash – which could help local communities bounce back from COVID-19 – risks going unspent and being sent back to Brussels if the funding is not allocated by the Government before the end of the year, the LGA has warned.