Policy
Universal Credit draining council resources
Universal Credit (UC) is draining resources from councils, a new survey has found.
MPs to examine devolution progress
Progress on devolution in England will be scrutinised by a new Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry.
ADCS conference: More councils improve Ofsted ratings after regime change
A greater number of councils are receiving better Ofsted ratings for their children’s services after the inspectorate introduced a ‘more proportionate’ regime.
ADCS conference: Children's services are in the red zone
Children’s services are in the ‘red zone’ and could be ‘overwhelmed’ next year in the event of a one-year Spending Review, a senior director has warned.
Kick-start devo deals, says Heseltine
Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine has called for power over housing, skills and jobs to be handed to metro mayors in order to kick-start the devolution agenda.
Combined strategy call to tackle homelessness
The Government should commit to a coherent combined housing and homelessness strategy, a report published today by a commission of experts has urged after a year-long investigation.
No new cash for Greater Manchester local industrial strategy
A former senior civil servant and council chief has questioned the impact of Greater Manchester’s local industrial strategy after it came with no new money.
It’s a good time to lobby
Dan Corry says that while the policy world is currently in something of a stasis lock, politically we’re seeing major realignments, with new battlefields – or at least new fronts – opening up everywhere.
Government bidding culture attacked
The growing trend of forcing councils to bid for small, policy-specific grants has been attacked as an ‘inefficient use of public resources’ by a think-tank.
English Devolution Bill calls dismissed
The Government has dismissed calls for an English Devolution Bill in the first Queen’s Speech after the UK has left the EU.
MHCLG failure to recruit chief scientific adviser 'astounding'
An ongoing failure by Marsham Street to recruit a Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) is ‘astounding,’ according to shadow science minister Chi Onwurah.
IFS warns of stark choices on council finances
Government faces a stark choice between giving councils more cash or accepting fewer services, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned.
Local government should factor in inequalities review
The UK's policy vacuum has been left to think-tanks, noticeably the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IfS) which has launched a five year study into inequalities. So far its panel does not include anyone from local government, says Michael Burton.
EXCLUSIVE: Treasurers reject financial management plan
Treasurers have called for wholesale changes to a planned overhaul of financial management in councils as they rejected a draft code.
Call for greater focus on culture change in integration drive
Huge cultural and behavioural differences between health and care need more consideration, consultancy Impower has urged.
Minister in plea for cross-party care consensus
Care minster Caroline Dinenage has said she 'would dearly like there to be cross-party consensus' on funding for social care.
Move forward on business rates admin
The Government has taken the next step towards modernising the administration of business rates to ‘make them fit for the 21st century’.
Further delay to devolution drive
The Government’s repeatedly-delayed devolution framework will not be published until after Brexit, minister Jake Berry has admitted.
Government to push ahead with 75% rates retention in 2020/21
Whitehall will push ahead with plans to implement 75% business rates retention in 2020/21 despite calls for a one-year delay, The MJ understands.
Government review to look at council audit response
The Government will use its planned review of a key law to look at how councils respond to issues identified by auditors, The MJ has learnt.