House of Lords
Bill passes as intervention powers reined in
The Health and Care Bill has officially received Royal Assent following months of wrangling between the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Extra money for refugee trauma recovery
Refugees minister Lord Harrington has suggested additional funding may be provided to councils to help Ukrainians’ recovery from physical and mental trauma.
LGA sits on fence on voter ID
Political deadlock is preventing the Local Government Association (LGA) from agreeing a policy position on controversial voter ID as peers inflicted a defeat on the Government.
Councils to fund housing for homeless refugees
Local authorities will have to pick up the bill for accommodating homeless Ukrainian refugees from their own budgets, a minister has said.
Pay 'not number one feature' in staff retention
Culture and opportunities for career advancement are more important to council staff than pay, peers have heard.
LGA's first chairman to retire
Lord Jeremy Beecham has annouced he will retire after 55 years in local and national politics.
HMJ: Peers reject ‘regressive’ change to social care cap
The House of Lords has rejected an amendment to the £86,000 care cap that would have seen people on lower incomes pay more for their care.
Ministers maintain power over CQC reviews
Ministers have dismissed an attempted challenge from peers to proposed fresh powers over looming reviews of the sector.
Councillors complain of lack of powers
More than two out of three (68%) councillors in England feel they lack sufficient powers to represent the needs of their communities, a survey today by the Electoral Reform Society campaign group has found.
Councillors allowed to join integrated care boards
Controversial guidelines excluding councillors from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are to be withdrawn following uproar from councils.
Fund planners to solve housing crisis - Lords
Peers have said council planning departments must be better resourced to prevent an ‘emerging crisis’.
Pickles committee calls for more freedoms and resources for councils
A select committee whose members include ex-communities secretary Lord Pickles has said councils must be given new freedoms and resources to support recovery from coronavirus.
LGA concerns over devolution approach
Senior figures from the Local Government Association (LGA) have raised concerns about Westminster’s approach to devolution.
Javid aims for 'integration by default'
Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid has said he wants to push through integration reforms to ‘stop people from bouncing around the system’.
Peers call for reversal of children’s services cuts
A decline in funding for child protection has disproportionately affected the most deprived areas, according to a report by the House of Lords’ Public Services Committee.
Lords voice concerns over care levy
Peers have pressed the Government on how much of the health and social care levy will reach the frontline.
Government defeated over council involvement in skills plans
The Government has lost a House of Lords vote after peers demanded councils should be involved in drawing up local skills improvement plans.
Lords warn social care funding increase is not enough
Peers have told the Government its proposed funding increase will not solve the problems within the social care system.
Planning overhaul ‘crucial’ to climate change
Changes to planning should be a priority in the fight against climate change, MPs have been told.
Peers call for joined up funding for children and families
Peers have urged Cabinet ministers to produce a cross-Whitehall bid for funding for vulnerable children and their families in the next Spending Review.
