Press releases from 2018

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• 'Public health services play a key role in preventing illness'

  London Councils comments on the 2019-20 Ring-fenced Public Health Grant to Local Authorities.

• Thanking London’s Christmas care heroes

  London Councils has highlighted the commitment of the thousands of care workers who will be working on Christmas Day. 

• Funding boost for children and young people with SEND - London Councils response

  London will received £42 million of the additional £250 million announced to help councils struggling 

• Apprenticeship Levy failing to address capital’s skills shortages

  The capital’s skills shortages and productivity challenges may continue unless the present Apprenticeship Levy is reformed, London government and employers have warned.

• Response to the ministerial statement on building safety

  London Councils has welcomed the government's commitment to implementing building safety improvements, but warns that legislation is still required to support robust enforcement. 

• New contract drives improvements to London’s largest assisted transport schemes

  Londoners who are unable or find it difficult to use mainstream public transport are set to benefit from new improvements to the Taxicard and the Taxi and Private Hire element of Dial-a-Ride services.

• “Austerity is not over for local government” – local government finance settlement 2019/20

  London Councils' response to the publication of the 2019/20 Local Government Finance Settlement.

• London Councils' response to TfL Business Plan 2018/19

  The LIP funding announced in the latest Business Plan has no new reductions and provides some welcome certainty on future funding for boroughs, however more can be done.

• ‘World AIDS Day 2018 is a chance to redouble our efforts’

  Boroughs have committed to continue funding the London HIV Prevention Programme.

• Business and education leaders face capital’s STEM shortages

  London’s business and education leaders are joining forces to tackle the capital’s urgent skills shortage at the London STEM conference, organised by London Councils.

• London boroughs on the brink – London Councils launches major campaign

  After a decade of massive funding reductions, London borough budgets are on the brink of crisis. Today London Councils is launching a major campaign calling for long-term investment in local public services.

• Annual parking enforcement and appeals statistics published

  Data on parking enforcement and appeals during the 2017-18 financial year.

• 'Boost public health resources to prioritise prevention'

  Following an announcement made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, London Councils has reiterated the crucial role local public health services play in supporting preventative health. 

• More money for Universal Credit "a step in the right direction", but serious concerns remain

  The government has announced additional funding for Universal Credit in the 2018 Budget. 

• Budget 2018: rates relief for small retailers and high streets funding

  Further reaction to announcements on funding for high streets and business rates relief in the Autumn Budget 2018.

• London Councils' response to the Autumn Budget 2018

  The Autumn Budget does little to offer a long term vision for the future of local government

• London Councils welcomes "much-needed" Budget boost to adult social care

  The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced additional funding for adult social care in his 2018 Budget. 

• London borough apprenticeships grow by a quarter

  In 2017-18 London boroughs increased the total number of apprenticeships they created by 25 per cent

• Move to prudential borrowing for council house building welcomed by London boroughs

  London Councils has welcomed the government’s move towards placing housing revenue account (HRA) borrowing under the prudential code. 

• Councils give £47 million funding boost to London’s digital infrastructure

  Almost £47 million has been awarded by the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation, with a particular focus on digital infrastructure to boost economic growth

• Awards given to a new generation of London borough apprentices

  The achievements of a new generation of London local government apprentices have been celebrated at the London Borough Apprenticeship Awards 2018.

• Statement on the lifting of the council housing borrowing cap

  London Councils' response to an announcement in Theresa May's speech to the Conservative Party Conference - the lifting of the cap on councils' ability to borrow against the value of their housing stock.

• Council parking management is worth £3.58 billion per year to London’s economy

  Parking management undertaken by councils is an essential public service that benefits London’s economy while helping to deal with traffic, improve air quality and ensure better road safety.

• "Empower boroughs to build homes on a much bigger scale" - London Councils' response to the Prime Minister's housing speech

  London Councils welcomes the Prime Minister's speech to the National Housing Federation and highlights the importance of enabling local government to build more social housing. 

• Nursery places for many of London’s most disadvantaged children under threat

  London’s maintained nursery schools provide places to thousands of the capital’s most vulnerable children.  Many of these schools may face closure within the next two years unless the government takes urgent action, London Councils research reveals.

• London social care services felt the heat this summer

  Research from London Councils suggests the summer heatwave caused a spike in demand for adult social care. 

• Latest HIV figures are "immensely encouraging" for London

  New data on HIV rates shows the capital's good progress on HIV prevention. 

• "London desperately needs more social housing" - London Councils response to the social housing green paper

  London Councils has responded to the government's launch of the green paper on social housing. 

• Response to the Rough Sleeping Strategy

  London Councils has responded to the government's announcement of its Rough Sleeping Strategy. 

• London Councils welcomes government’s “right decision” on supported housing funding

  The government has decided not to proceed with proposed changes to the funding model for supporting housing.  

• Skills and training system is lacking if capital to thrive say councils and businesses

  Significant changes need to be made to skills and training provision in London if the capital is to continue to thrive, according to authors of London’s largest local business report.

  A new report by London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and London Councils - 'London’s Local Business Survey: Assessing the capital’s skills challenge' - also claims that a radical overhaul of the apprenticeship levy is needed.

  During the compilation of the report, more than 1,000 business were surveyed by ComRes, on behalf of London Councils and LCCI.

• London's innovative modular housing scheme for the homeless opens to tenders

  A not-for-profit company committed to tackling homelessness in London has issued an invitation to tender for the design and manufacture of modular temporary accommodation.

• Response to Centre for London report on housebuilding

  London Councils responds to a think-tank report on boroughs' ability to deliver new homes. 

• One in five Londoners admits to fly-tipping in the past two years

  Lack of awareness of what fly-tipping is has led one in five Londoners to fly-tip in the past two years, a new report from the London Borough Environment Directors Network (LEDNet) and Keep Britain Tidy reveals.

• Celebrate the NHS by committing to health and social care’s long-term future

  As the NHS celebrates its 70^th anniversary, London Councils is calling on the government to commit to the future sustainability of the wider health and care system.

• London unites to stamp out dangerous illegal tobacco

  A London-wide campaign to tackle the scourge of cheap and illegal tobacco, led by London boroughs, is returning to the capital this summer.

  The campaign, supported by London Councils, London Trading Standards, Public Health England London and London Association of Directors of Public Health aims to highlight the dangers of the illegal tobacco trade and encourage members of the public to report premises and individuals that sell it.

• City-wide campaign urges Londoners to prevent HIV this summer

  London boroughs launch a campaign encouraging Londoners to look after their sexual health and prevent HIV transmission.

• London Councils joins building safety taskforce and calls for faster progress

  London Councils has welcomed the government’s announcement of a new taskforce to oversee remediation work of private sector buildings with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.

• Poor air quality ‘increasingly’ blighting Londoners’ lives

  Growing numbers of Londoners say poor air quality is having an impact on their daily lives, new polling data reveals, influencing where they choose to live and where they send their children to school. 

• NHS funding boost must come ‘hand in hand’ with support for social care

  London Councils call for hard-pressed social care services to be recognised in any new funding settlement for the NHS.

• London Councils welcomes new support for vulnerable Universal Credit claimants

  London Councils is welcoming the government’s recent announcement of increased support for vulnerable claimants eligible for Universal Credit.  

• London Councils’ new Chair takes the reins

  Cllr Peter John OBE has been elected Chair of London Councils.

• Statement on Hackitt Review final report

  London Councils' response to the final report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety carried out by Dame Judith Hackitt after the Grenfell Tower fire.

• Statement on Government committing to fund social housing cladding removal

  London Councils' response to Theresa May's announcement at Prime Minister's Questions that Government will fully fund the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding by councils and housing associations.

• National Primary Offer Day 2018 - London figures

  Ninety-six per cent of children due to start primary school in London this September have been offered a place at one of their top three preferred schools.

  Figures released today on National Primary School Offer Day by the Pan London Admissions Board, the body with overall responsibility for the co-ordination of school admissions in the capital, show that London boroughs received 96,681 applications for primary school places this year, 2.3 per cent fewer than last year.

• Boroughs stepping in to help 2,900 families in need

  New figures published by London Councils show that London boroughs are stepping in to support families who have no recourse to public funds.

• Groundbreaking HIV campaign wins national award

  Do It London was named Campaign of the Year at the LGC Awards.

• Statement on speech ahead of the social care Green Paper

  London Councils' response to a speech given by Jeremy Hunt MP, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  outlining the Government's thinking ahead of the social care green paper.

• Support for children with SEND must be properly funded, say London boroughs

  London Councils warns that the funding shortfall for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) must be urgently addressed.

• London boroughs to quadruple the number of electric vehicle charging points next year

  A survey of London boroughs reveals that they are set to deliver over 2,600 charging points across the capital.

• HIV campaign helps Londoners make safer sex choices

  The groundbreaking Do It London campaign has dramatically boosted public awareness of the choices available for preventing HIV transmission, according to an independent evaluation.

• Statement on International Women's Day 2018

  Reaffirming London boroughs' commitment to ensuring London achieves gender parity and removing barriers facing women and girls.

• London Councils' response to Prime Minister Theresa May’s housing speech and publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework

  The revision of the National Planning Policy Framework implements around 80 previously announced reforms, as set out in the Housing White Paper.

• London employment support programme starts work

  Today marks the launch of London's Work and Health Programmes, employment support programmes delivered by four sub-regional groups of boroughs.

• London secondary school places continue to rise – for third year running

  National Secondary School Offer Day 2018 in London.

• Statement on the London Borough of Culture Awards

  London Councils is congratulating the winning boroughs - Waltham Forest and Brent - and praising all participating boroughs for the quality of their bids.

• Tackling London’s special educational needs budget funding gap

  London borough leads will meet to explore the increasing pressures facing the delivery of services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

• Statement on the final Local Government Finance Settlement

  The final Local Government Finance Settlement included £150 million for the adult social care support grant, but this does not address the scale of the challenge for London boroughs

• London Councils welcomes commitment to Taxicard funding

  London Councils has secured an agreement with Transport for London (TfL) to ensure funding for the Taxicard scheme is not reduced in 2018-19.

• APPG for London: Skills devolution needed to power the economy

  London and other parts of the country are experiencing severe skills shortages leaving them vulnerable to the impact of Brexit, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London (APPG for London) will argue

• London Councils' response to calls for the HRA borrowing cap to be abolished

  London Councils' response to the Treasury Committee's report on the 2017 Autumn Budget, which calls for the HRA borrowing cap to be abolished.

• London Councils' response to VOA business rates corrections

  London Councils' response to the Valuation Office Agency's publication of corrections to business rates revaluation data.

• London Councils' response to the publication of the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan

  London Councils' response to the publication of the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan.

• London joins Fast-Track Cities initiative

  London has signed the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities Ending AIDS, reflecting the city's ambition to cut rates of new HIV infection in the capital and eliminate discrimination and stigma associated with the condition.

• Despite growing financial pressures, Londoners continue to band together

  Londoners still feel they live in respectful, cohesive communities, in the face of growing concerns over job security and their ability to afford their rent or mortgage in the coming 12 months, according to an exclusive survey commissioned by London Councils.

  Independent researchers Ipsos MORI conducted a poll of over 1,000 Londoners on behalf of London Councils, with a particular focus on housing, public health, financial resilience and devolution.

• London Councils' response to the merging of health and social care into one portfolio

  London Councils' response to Government extending the Department of Health's remit to cover social care.