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Over the past five years, frozen Local Housing Allowance rates have left councils to pick up more than £700 million in costs that they are unable to claim back from government, threatening their financial viability and hampering efforts to reduce homelessness.

“To tackle the challenges within the SEND system, any reform must focus on boosting mainstream inclusion, and we are pleased government has set out steps towards this."

Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face. However any efforts to tackle the causes of obesity need to be part of a whole systems approach.

Cllr Heather Kidd, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:  “Councils are committed to keeping tenants and residents safe, and are keen to work with Government to drive the pace of remediation.  “However, for local government to carry out enforcement and addressing cladding issues as effectively and quickly as possible, multi-year funding arrangements are needed.  “Councils are keen to remediate the buildings they own that have dangerous cladding, but they need access to the necessary funding to do so on the same basis they had to remediate ACM cladding.”  Notes to Editors: A

“People with substance misuse issues need effective support and treatment, which councils are committed to providing.

Public satisfaction with local waste services remains very high, which councils have worked hard to achieve. What works in urban centres is different to rural communities.

It is vital the forthcoming provisional Local Government Finance Settlement also now fully funds the changes to employer national insurance contributions included in the Budget.

Properly funded preventative services would mean councils, working closely with partners and people drawing on support, can maximize the impact of their resources and address community needs. This will also drive down demand for more expensive acute health and social care support.

Councils are facing unprecedented financial challenges, with the increases to employer National Insurance Contributions likely to add significant costs for councils and the wider sector.

“We look forward to further details from the Government as they step towards a more localised way of delivering employment and skills services and working with them to plan how these changes will work in practice.”