Funding plans announced by the Chancellor in last week's Spending Review provide some short term support for councils, but uncertainty remains over future funding and the £500 million shortfall arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Responding to the Chancellor's Spending Review statement, London Councils Chair, Cllr Georgia Gould, said: “The pandemic has placed enormous burdens on boroughs’ budgets, and we’re pleased that the government has listened to our calls to provide compensation for tax losses and extra funding.  

“However, London boroughs still face a funding shortfall of over £500 million this year – even with the support announced by the government. And it can’t be forgotten that the Covid-19 crisis has come after a decade of funding reductions for local authorities, which had already led to unsustainable pressures. We are disappointed that this one-year settlement for local government means we can only plan for the next year and gives us no long-term certainty over our finances.  

“We’ll continue to make the case for increased, long-term investment in local services, which is pivotal for securing the ambitious and inclusive recovery we all want to see.”  

A new London-wide campaign highlighting the four proven ways to prevent HIV was launched to mark World Aids Day yesterday (Tuesday 1 December).

In the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the boroughs’ Do It London campaign is reminding Londoners of the importance of HIV prevention and offers assurance that they can protect their health from HIV.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Health & Care, Cllr Damian White, said: “Alongside our response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, boroughs are working together to tackle the capital’s other key public health challenges – including HIV.

“This campaign is a crucial reminder to Londoners to protect themselves against HIV using the ‘four sure’ methods. In recent years, London has made excellent progress in reducing HIV rates. We’re as determined as ever to maintain this momentum and to achieve our target of zero new diagnoses by 2030.”

London Councils is calling on central government to introduce greater flexibilities to the apprenticeship levy, following a survey of boroughs that found many employers cannot make the most of the funds available to them.

A major barrier to making full use of the apprenticeship levy has been the lack of flexibility in how the levy can be spent. At present, while it can be used to fund training costs for apprentices, the employer must bear the costs of the apprentice’s wages, as well as having to dedicate resources to administration, recruitment and management.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Skills and Employment, Cllr Clare Coghill, said: “Apprenticeships have a hugely important role to play, not only in helping people enter the capital’s workforce, but in laying solid career foundations and expanding the horizons of Londoners of all ages.

“While the apprenticeship levy is a welcome financial boost, the system used to obtain these funds is flawed. The government needs to give employers more flexibility to allow our citizens to get the skills they need to succeed. They provide vital learning for talented Londoners to succeed as an alternative to academic programmes.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has already had a severe impact on apprenticeships with a huge drop in apprenticeship starts this financial year. This is a time when apprenticeships should be used to alleviate the risk of long-term unemployment."

This coming Saturday (5 December) is Small Business Saturday. The campaign, which began eight years ago, said that the impact of Covid-19 made local support for small businesses more important than ever.

This year, organisers will be running a virtual roadshow for small businesses, offering a month-long, intensive programme of advice, workshops and mentoring.

The tour will host daily ‘virtual visits’ to more than 30 locations across the U.K, including London. You can find out more information on the Small Business Saturday website.

Follow @londoncouncils on Twitter for more information on local campaigns throughout the week.