Responding to a report from the House of Commons Education Select Committee,Cllr Peter John OBE, Chair of London Councils and executive member for Public Service Reform and Devolution and Finance and Resources, said:

“London Councils welcomes the Education Committee’s call for a ten-year plan for school and college funding. Boroughs are committed to providing support to meet every child’s needs, but unfortunately, they are exceeding their budgets in the process.

"We hope the government will review its funding allocations to ensure that schools and colleges across the capital can meet the needs of their students.”

New research from London Councils highlights the life-changing impact that early intervention has on the most vulnerable young people in the capital – while warning that a £185 million funding shortfall puts crucial services at risk.

Cllr Nickie Aiken, London Councils’ Executive Member for Schools and Children’s Services, said: “London boroughs are committed to early intervention as the most cost-effective approach in the long term with the best results for children and families.

"However, we’re working in a context of fast-rising levels of demand for services while budgets are flatlining.The government needs to boost investment in children’s services in line with councils’ rising costs."

The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) formally launched last week. Based at London Councils in Southwark Street, the LOTI team has been established to help its member boroughs to collaborate on projects that bring the best of technology, data and innovation to improve public services and outcomes for Londoners. You can read a short note on its first week and its plans for the immediate future here.

This week, the UK is set to experience increasingly high temperatures.

Boroughs are already working to inform their communities of action plans and ensure that vulnerable people are looked after.

Please see the NHS advice on what to do during a heatwave for more information.