News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

LLG Submits New Burdens Statement to the Ministry
Publish date: 27/03/2019
LLG has submitted a third paper to the Ministry, this time on New Burdens. This article sets out the position statement which was considered by the EU Exit Advisory Panel
Weekend School Interactive Brochure - Launched!
Publish date: 15/03/2019
See the interactive brochure for Weekend School 2019
Next CEO Webinar announced - 20th March 2019
Publish date: 07/03/2019
The March free CEO webinar has now been announced - register your interest now!
Annual General Meeting of Lawyers in Local Government - 30th March 2019
Publish date: 04/03/2019
Notice for Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) Annual General Meeting - 30th March 2019
LLG Submits Statement to the Ministry on Vulnerability, Duties & Responsibilities in the Event of a No Deal Brexit
Publish date: 22/02/2019
LLG has submitted a Position Statement to the Ministry on the main duties and responsibilities held towards vulnerable persons, together with an examination of the effect on individuals caused by a no deal Brexit. The Statement was produced following a direct request from the Ministry flowing from LLG's Brexit Statement submitted in January.
Meet Helen Edwards- Candidate for Deputy Vice President of LLG
Publish date: 22/02/2019
Helen Edwards, Chief Legal Officer for Norfolk County Council sets out her experience and reasons for standing as Deputy Vice President of LLG.
DFT Makes Recommendations within Consultation to Provide Greater Consistency in Licensing Following Input from LLG
Publish date: 12/02/2019
The DFT launched a consultation today on statutory guidance for taxi and PHV licensing authorities. The consultation is seeking views on proposed statutory guidance to taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing authorities on how to use their licensing powers to protect children and vulnerable adults. LLG previously inputted and made recommendations on the assessment of convictions and greater consistency in licensing together with the Institute of Licensing, the National Association of Licensing Enforcement Officers and the LGA. The DFT has now picked up those recommendations within Annexe A of the Consultation in their entirety.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life Review on Local Government Ethical Standards Released today.
Publish date: 30/01/2019
The 20th report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, on the subject of ethical standards in local government released its review today. The report identifies some specific areas of concern noting a minority of councillors who engage in bullying or harassment, or other highly disruptive behaviour, and a small number of parish councils giving rise to a disproportionate number of complaints about poor behaviour. The report also identifies a number of risks in the sector: the current rules around conflicts of interest, gifts, and hospitality are commented on as inadequate; and the increased complexity of local government decision-making has been found to place governance under strain.
Guidance from Government to Assist Local Authority Preparedness for Exiting the European Union (EU).
Publish date: 28/01/2019
Guidance just out from the Government covering; Statutory services, Regulatory services, Border areas, Supply chains, Data handling, Local partnership working, Communications, Regional and local growth, EU Funding
LLG Submits Brexit Statement to the Ministry
Publish date: 15/01/2019
LLG have provided a Brexit statement to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government following detailed input from Branches and Corporate Partners. The statement sets out the position of LLG regarding the more prominent legal implications of Brexit together with an examination of the EU exit more broadly on local government. It also raises questions where it feels clarity from the Ministry would be beneficial. It provides an overarching commentary which many of your directors and CEO may find useful.

Blog

14 June 2019

Publish date: 14/06/2019

This week the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rishi Sunak MP announced that property revaluations for business rates payers in England will now take place every 3 years; an increase in frequency from the current 5. In consequence, the 2022 revaluation will now take place a year earlier in 2021. Whilst underpinning the economy and ensuring retention and indeed revitalisation of the high-street are exceptionally important drivers, the resulting economic impact on local authorities could be substantial. The Government, as we know, has phased out revenue support grants making local authorities wholly reliant on local income. Business rates will form an important part of this revenue. LLG are pulling together several questions for the Ministry to answer in a live webinar taking place on the 19^th June 2019. We will certainly be asking whether a contingency budget to cushion a drop off in business rates and council tax due to economic instability and increasing unemployment will be provided outside of the pledged 58 million. We will also be pushing to know if the Government has analysed the number of local authorities which could be pushed over the edge post Brexit, based on the number of councils finding themselves in an increasingly precarious financial position, together with their plan for delayed economic shock.

We are already seeing a knock-on effect on services within the regulatory field. The National Audit Office (NAO) this week warned that food standards check's fell to 37% of those required with spending cut by 19%. Head of the NAO, Gareth Davies said, "The regulatory system is showing signs of strain with fewer food control staff in local authorities and delays in the checks they carry out on food businesses" and called for the Government to evaluate the impact of Brexit. We will certainly be asking the Ministry what planning around the impact on Trading Standards in regard to capacity and resilience has taken place. Meanwhile the District Councils' Network at a parliamentary inquiry on the strategy implications for councils in respect of the Government's resources and waste strategy announced "zero confidence" that councils will be compensated by the Government for new burdens arising from the new functions. The reforms include free garden waste collections, food waste collections by every council and consistency in recycling.

LLG have pulled together a wide variety of questions covering numerous disciplines to put to the Ministry live, next Wednesday 19^th June 2019 at 1pm. You can register and listen free to what they have to say here.

Best wishes

Helen McGrath

Head of Public Affairs

Helen@llg.org.uk