On Your Radar October-November 2015
11 November 2015
Janet Sillett LGiU
Summary
On Your Radar provides regular updates on information from central government and other key organisations; looks back over the last period, ahead at what could be hitting the headlines and comments on issues relevant to local government that will be influencing the political landscape over the coming months.
This edition contains:
· Upcoming briefings
· Government consultations
· Select Committee inquiries
· Legislation
Briefing in full
Upcoming briefings include:
· Tackling health inequalities
· English Deprivation index
· Fromebbtoflow:howentrepreneurscanturnthetideforBritain's seasidetowns by theCentre for Entrepreneurs
· Funding the British nations part 1
· Funding the British nations part 2: local government
· The impact of budget cuts on local road maintenance and road safety
· Health, public health and social care round-up
· Spending Review analysis
· HS2 update
· Latest reports on Winterbourne View
Government consultations
The consultation section will normally include new consultations, ongoing consultations and consultation outcomes from DCLG and consultations from other departments and related organisations when particularly relevant to local government. It will also include relevant consultations from government agencies and public bodies.
Communities and Local Government
New consultations
Extending mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation and related reforms
Closes: 18 December 2015
Reforming business rates appeals
Closes: 4 January 2016
Pay to stay: high income social tenants
Closes: 20 November 2015
Improving efficiency of council tax collection
Closes: 18 November 2015
Of interest – DCLG have a chart of their top organisational structure on their website – see here.
Latest DCLG announcements here
Cabinet Office
New consultation
Language requirements for public sector workers
Closes: 8 December 2015
Ongoing consultation
Open Government Partnership: UK national action plan 2016
Closes: 11 December 2015
Department of Health
New consultation
Settling the mandate to NHS England for 2016 to 2017
Closes: 23 November 2015
Continuing consultation
The role of the National Data Guardian for health and social care
Closes: 17 December 2015
Consultation outcomes
Strengthening rights and choices for people to live in the community
Published: 10 November 2015
Local authority public health allocations 2015 to 2016
Published: 4 November 2015
Readers will be aware that the proposal to make savings in this grant in 2015 has been highly contentious. The consultation had different options on the method of reduction.
The department has decided to go ahead with the savings by reducing each local authority’s grant by an equal percentage. The saving will be implemented through a reduction in the fourth quarterly instalment of the grant, which will be brought forward from January 2016 to November 2015.
The department received 219 responses fromcouncils, stakeholders, third sector organisations and individual members of the health and care workforce. Out of the total of 152LAsin England with public health duties, 123 (81%) responded.
Select Committee inquiries
This section will normally include all new inquiries from the CLG select committee, those from other select committees when particularly relevant to local government, and government responses.
Most (but not all) select committee inquiries are conducted as follows:
· written evidence called for
· oral evidence sessions held
· report published
· response published
Not all inquiries result in a report
The government will normally make a response to a select committee report, either publishing it itself (as a Command Paper) or sending a memorandum to the committee, which can be published as a special report (simply saying, in effect, “we have received the following reply ...”), although the committee can publish the response with further comments or take further evidence.
The government has undertaken to reply within two months of the publication of the report, when possible, but may seek the committee’s agreement to allow a longer period. In some cases where a report has recommendations affecting a body outside government (for example the Bank of England) responses will be received from more than one source. It is sometimes convenient for the committee to publish such responses together. The government’s replies to reports from the Committee of Public Accounts are published as Treasury Minutes (which are Command Papers).
There is a House of Commons YouTube video explaining the select committee system: How do select committees work
Communities and Local Government Committee
The committee membership can be found here
Clive Betts MP, Chair of the CLG Committee, has written to Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to press for clear answers on the government’s financial help to local authorities accommodating Syrian refugees. This can be found here. The link to the response from Greg Clark on the select committee webpage did not work.
Housing and Planning Bill
The Committee held a one-off session on 9 November to question the Housing Minister on the Bill. No evidence has been published to date (10 November).
Ongoing inquiries
The Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill
Announced: 24 July 2015
Deadline for written evidence: 1 September 2015
The committee is examining a number of devolution issues, including lessons from the City Deals, can the Manchester deal provide a model for other areas, and local accountability.
The latest evidence can be found here.
The Housing Association sector and the Right to Buy
Announced: 29 July 2015
Deadline for written evidence: 28 August 2015
Latest written evidence can be found here.
Planning and productivity
Inquiry announced 23 July 2015.
Oral evidence session with Brandon Lewis MP can be found here.
Evidence so far can be found here.
See LGiU briefing here
Local council bank loans
Inquiry announced on 15 July 2015. Committee is currently taking oral evidence
Latest evidence can be found here.
Environmental Audit Committee
The government’s approach to sustainable development
Future of the Green Investment Bank
Health Committee
New inquiry
Public health post 2013 – structures, organisation, funding and delivery
The committee is currently accepting submissions.
Ongoing inquiry
Current issues in NHS England
Launched: 14 July 2015
Evidence here given by Simon Stevens, CE NHS England
Sugar review
The committee has published a series of letters and replies on the publication of the sugar review – between the Chair of the committee, Dr Wollaston, MP and the Chair and Chief Executive of Public Health England – found here.
Home Affairs Committee
Reform of the Police Funding Formula inquiry
Deadline for written submissions: 16 October 2015
Countering extremism
Accepting written evidence
Migration crisis inquiry
Deadline for written submissions was 21 October 2015
Oral evidence from the Mayor of Calais, the Minister for Immigration and the Director General, Border Force can be found here.
Justice Committee
New inquiry
Restorative justice
Now accepting written submissions
Public Accounts Committee
New inquiries
Closure of Kids Company
This was launched on 26 October 2015 and is examining the funding received from the government.
Care Quality Commission
The PAC held a session on the CQC on 28 October 2015. The latest oral evidence can be found on the inquiry’s homepage.
Ongoing inquiries
Wave 1 City Deals
Launched 30 July 2015
This inquiry is considering the early impacts from some of the individual programmes agreed in the deals and how their impact is being evaluated and shared.
Latest evidence can be found here.
We have published a briefing on the NAO report on this issue – here.
Local government new burdens
Launched: 11 September 2015
Care Act first-phase reforms
Launched: 11 September 2015
These two inquiries are linked: looking at the costs of reforms and the demands they place on local authorities and how the government is assessing new requirements that increase local government spending.
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs
Whitehall’s relationship with Kids Company.
Oral evidence will be taken during October.
English Votes for English Laws and the Future of the Union
The committee says that it will devote most of its effort during this parliament to addressing the broader constitutional consequences of the Scottish independence referendum.
Women and Equalities Committee
New inquiry
Gender pay gap
Work and Pensions Committee
New inquiry and report
Tax credit reforms inquiry
The committee carried out a short inquiry examining the distributional impact of the proposed April 2016 tax credit cuts.
They have now published the report titled ‘A reconsideration of tax credit cuts’ which can be found here.
We have published a briefing on this issue that can be found here. We will be publishing a briefing shortly on the new report.
The report is clearly important. The committee says in its introduction that:
‘In a unanimous cross-party report, the Work and Pensions Committee says in the absence of any satisfactory mitigation of tax credit cuts, the Government should pause for a year and plan for a major overhaul of the tax credit system.
According to the report, themeasures the Government has so far cited in mitigation of tax credit cuts will simply not reach many of those worst affected, and the benefits for those who would be helped are "dwarfed" by the cuts. As things stand the majority of families affected will still be worse off by 2020-21’.
Ongoing inquiries
Local welfare safety net
Deadline for written submissions was 30 October 2015
This inquiry will look at discretionary welfare, housing and council tax assistance schemes.
Welfare to Work
Deadline for written submissions was 28 August 2015.
Latest oral and written evidence can be found here.
Benefit delivery inquiry
Latest written evidence can be found here.
Legislation
Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill
TheCities and Local Government Devolution Billhas completed its journey through the House of Lords. The LGiU briefing Devolution Bill: important changes in the Lords explains what happened to the Bill in the Lords and comments on key debates. An earlier briefing outlined the Bill’s provisions.
It is now in the Commons. MPs debated the second reading on Wednesday 14 October. The Bill passed second reading without a division and was considered by a Committee of the whole House on Wednesday 21 October 2015. The date for the second day in committee is Tuesday 17 November 2015.
We will be continuing to cover the Bill as it goes through the Commons.
We have published a briefing on health and social care devolution which included an update on the debates in the House of Lords and in the Commons on these areas of devolution. This can be found here.
Welfare Reform and Work Bill
The Bill has finished its stages in the House of Commons and is now in the Lords. The second reading is scheduled for 17 November.
The Bill will implement Conservative policies on welfare reform, including lowering the benefit cap, extending the freeze on working-age benefits to four years and limiting child tax credit to the first two children for new applicants.
The Trade Union Bill
The Bill amends the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation Act) Act 1992. Key measures include the requirements for a minimum thresholds of a 50 per cent turnout in all industrial action ballots, and for a higher level of support in favour of industrial action for specified important public services; requiring positive consent for a union member to contribute to a union’s political fund; and creating regulation-making powers in respect of paid time off for trade union duties and activities in the public sector.
The Bill has passed through its stages in the House of Commons and is now in the Lords. The First reading took place on 11 November. The Second reading is yet to be scheduled.
Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16
The Bill passed its second reading on 2 November 2015. TheBill will next be considered by apublic bill committee that will scrutinise it line by line. The dates of the public bill committee meetings havenot yetbeen announced. The committee is expected to report by 10 December 2015.
It will be interesting to see how the new stage of the Bill works regarding the new ‘English votes for English laws’ procedure. Certain provisions of the bill have been certified by the Speaker as relating exclusively to England, and to England and Wales, so the 'English votes for English laws' procedure will apply to it.
Under the 'English votes for English laws' procedure, any provisions certified by the Speaker must be separately approved by MPs representing constituencies in England, or England and Wales, before the Bill can receive a Third Reading. This would take place on the floor of the House in a legislative grand committee following report stage.
We have published a briefing on the Bill that can be found here.
For more information about this, or any other LGiU member briefing, please contact Janet Sillett, Briefings Manager, on
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