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Your weekly update of London local government issues

28 October 2020

Business support boost welcomed

Additional grants for hospitality, accommodation and leisure sector businesses in Tier 2 areas, alongside changes to the Job Support Scheme and additional support for self-employed people announced by the Chancellor last week ( [link removed] ) have been welcomed by London Councils.

London Councils Executive member for Business, Europe and Good Growth, Cllr Danny Thorpe ( [link removed] ), said: “London boroughs are pleased that the government has recognised the collateral damage High alert level restrictions are doing to many businesses, especially those in affected sectors such as leisure and hospitality.

“London boroughs will be working with their local businesses to deliver grant funding and publicise additional support as quickly as possible. More than 96 per cent of existing grants have been given to London businesses to date, around 7 per cent more than the national average. We will also tailor discretionary grants to ensure we are helping as many businesses in need as we can.”

London's local services need more financial certainty 

Following the government's announcement that its upcoming spending review will only cover a single year rather than a three-year period, London Councils' Chair Cllr Georgia Gould, said: “This is a hugely disappointing development which misses an opportunity to provide councils with much-needed financial certainty and to help us deliver the services our communities rely on. It is vital that the government urgently addresses the growing crisis in local government budgets.

“Boroughs are at the forefront of London’s response to the ongoing pandemic, with council services playing a crucial role in caring for older and more vulnerable residents, housing the homeless, supporting businesses, and keeping Londoners safe. These services are essential for helping London recover and for addressing the stark inequalities the last few months have made clear.

"However, boroughs are facing enormous pressures after a decade of government funding reductions and months of lost income and increased spending to support our communities through the pandemic. Even with the government’s interventions we’ve seen so far, boroughs are still expecting a £1 billion funding shortfall this year.

“The government should use the spending review to stabilise council finances and deliver a sustainable solution for social care funding. We will continue highlighting the key finance pressures facing boroughs and making the case for long-term investment in London’s local services.”  

Covid-19 data issues

Following a call for evidence from the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee ( [link removed] ), the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has been compiling specific concerns and challenges facing London borough data teams in their efforts to support public health and frontline colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are three different pools of data that play a role in this work: the Public Health England (PHE) line list data for the latest infection and outbreak details in their area; NHS Test and Trace data; and Shielding Patients Lists published by the NHS.

LOTI’s network of data analysts and managers have reported a number of serious challenges when trying to access and interpret these important data sets. LOTI has collated all these concerns into a document ( [link removed] ) which they have shared with PHE and NHS Digital.

Halloween advice

London Fire Brigade ( [link removed] ) is urging people to report fly tipping, abandoned vehicles and derelict buildings to their local council to help prevent deliberate fires on Halloween this year.

On average there are around 40 per cent more deliberate fires on Halloween in comparison to the days either side.

Dan Jones, Chair of London Environment Directors Network (LEDNet), said: “With coronavirus cases increasing across the capital, Londoners are looking to celebrate Halloween festivities at home with their families this year. The pandemic has laid huge financial strain across London and we are asking Londoners to pull together to ensure there is no additional strain on the emergency and public services this Halloween season.

“Please try and minimise the amount of waste your household produces and properly dispose of any waste to help reduce the number of deliberate fires in your local community. By thinking twice and working together, we can make sure that public safety is a priority and Halloween remains a fun time for all Londoners.”

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Lifelong Learning Week

A series of online events are planned next week as part of ( [link removed] )Lifelong Learning Week ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] ) (2-6 Nov), an annual celebration of the benefits of adult education for individuals, communities and employers. The week of activity is intended to raise the profile of lifelong learning and showcase the very best in adult learning.

New Croydon Leader 

( [link removed] )Cllr Hamida Ali was elected as the new Leader of Croydon Council ( [link removed] ) at an Extraordinary Full Council meeting on 22 October.

At the meeting, Cllr Hamida announced her new cabinet ( [link removed] ).

Her appointment follows the resignation of Councillor Tony Newman earlier this month.

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By the boroughs, for the community

A snapshot of some of the work boroughs are doing to support vulnerable people, improve lives and keep London going through the Covid-19 pandemic ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

By the leaders blogs

We've been publishing a series of blogs by London borough leaders as the capital responds to the challenges of Covid-19. Recent blogs published include: Cllr Ruth Dombey ( [link removed] ) (LB Sutton); Cllr Teresa O'Neill ( [link removed] ) (LB Bexley); Cllr Julian Bell ( [link removed] ) (LB Ealing) and Cllr Rachael Robathan ( [link removed] ) (City of Westminster)

( [link removed] )You can read all our leaders' blogs on the website here... ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Coronavirus (Covid-19) latest information and advice

Please check these websites for the most up-to-date and accurate infomation regarding coronavirus and government, NHS and PHE advice:

Staying safe outside your home ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

Information on UK government response to Coronavirus (Covid-19) ( [link removed] )

Read frequently asked questions about coronavirus on Public Health England’s blog ( [link removed] )

Guidance for employees, employers and businesses ( [link removed] ) ( [link removed] )

and remember to follow us for all the breaking news...

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Comments or queries? Email the editor ( [email protected]?subject=Key%20Issues%3A )

visit londoncouncils.gov.uk ( [link removed] )

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London Councils fights for the best deal for our boroughs, develops policy and lobbies government on the issues
that matter for London. We also run pan-London services like Freedom Pass and Taxicard.
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