This briefing details the new Bills of relevance to local government and the LGA’s initial response to them.
Introduction
On Wednesday 13 May, His Majesty The King set out the Government’s agenda for the next Parliamentary session. The full Speech can be found on the Government’s website.
This briefing details the new Bills of relevance to local government and the LGA’s initial response to them. We are pleased to see Government taking forward a number of priorities that the LGA and councils have long called for, including reforms to SEND and social housing. We look forward to working with Government and partners across the sector to ensure these reforms deliver real benefits for communities, are workable and properly resourced and reflect local needs and experiences.
As ever, it is important that any changes that may have a financial impact on councils are fully assessed. New burdens assessments should be kept up to date and reflect spending pressures fully, and ensure that councils are not required to divert resources away from delivering existing statutory services – with post-implementation scrutiny carried out in line with the New Burdens Doctrine.
The LGA has published a media statement responding to the announcements.
For further information on any of these Bills, please contact the LGA Public Affairs team.
Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Make the UK the best place in world to start, run, and grow a business – a place where businesses and the millions of self-employed people are paid on time for the goods and services they deliver, a place where money flows quickly through supply chains, and a place where small companies and the self-employed spend their time and resources running their businesses effectively instead of chasing unpaid invoices.
- These measures apply only to UK-to-UK business transactions and do not affect global supply chains or international trade.
LGA view
- Although we believe that monitoring prompt payment down the supply chain will create an additional burden for councils, we agree with the proposal as per our response to question 3a of the Public Procurement: Growing British Industry, Jobs and Skills consultation. We are encouraged that our suggestion of this policy being implemented down the supply chain has been considered.
- We recognise that views on retention payments across the sector are mixed, and their misuse could contribute to poor payment practices. However, we do not support a blanket ban. Retention payments can serve a legitimate purpose in providing assurance over performance and defect rectification – particularly on complex projects – and their removal risks unintended consequences such as increased reliance on alternative mechanisms (e.g. bonds, guarantees, retention deposit scheme) that may be more costly or less accessible, especially for SMEs.
- There is also a concern that abolishing retention payments could even exacerbate late payment behaviours, as parties may seek to withhold monies through less transparent means. A more balanced approach would focus on addressing exemption misuse through stronger safeguards – such as transparency, a presumption in favour of nil retentions, prompt release mechanisms and protection of retention funds – while retaining flexibility to use them proportionately where appropriate.
Clean Water Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Strengthen confidence in the water sector – restoring the public’s trust, giving investors the stability to back long-term upgrades, and providing the clarity needed to support economic growth. It will ensure the sector plays its full part in delivering clean water and a healthy environment
LGA view
- The actions of water companies have a significant impact on water supply, infrastructure and flood risk management. The LGA wants to see stronger partnership working between water companies and local authorities, and more frequent senior level involvement. Councils have seen the impact of poor water quality on local communities at first hand, particularly in the areas affected by nutrient neutrality restrictions on development. The LGA has called for stronger accountability from the water companies and greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities of the regulators responsible for protecting rivers. We also see merit in action to address the delays to new housing in many areas caused by slow responses and objections of water companies, as well as high costs for mitigation to proceed caused by historic poor performance and lack of investment.
- The impact of poor water quality on communities cannot be understated and there must be a more rapid and significant move towards protecting and improving water quality as an urgent priority. This is an opportunity to ensure water companies both provide clean water and prevent further damage to rivers, waterways and coastal areas, including from sewage discharges. Poor water quality has wide-ranging impacts on communities, including on public health, the environment, local economies and recreation. Councils also want to see an independent review of water companies delivered.
- Reform of the long-term water industry planning framework needs to align with proposals for devolution of powers and funding for local government. The LGA has long called for a more flexible funding model for managing flood risk and coastal erosion, combining capital and revenue funding into a single place-based pot.
Regulating for Growth Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Build on the 2025 Regulation Action Plan to modernise regulation so it supports growth and innovation while maintaining essential safeguards.
- To compete on the world stage, we must ensure regulation keeps pace with the unprecedented speed of technological innovation. That means enabling rapid but controlled testing of new approaches through regulatory sandboxes, followed by the swift rollout of reforms. This approach will allow the UK to safely seize opportunities, from artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to breakthrough medical advances – to the benefit of UK businesses, citizens and national security.
- Regulators also have a crucial role to play. They must prioritise growth more clearly than they do today, while continuing to balance this with their core responsibilities to protect consumers and citizens. As part of a suite of measures including the strengthened growth duty, regulators will actively support innovation, reinforced by clearer strategic steers from Government to individual regulators.
LGA view
- The LGA recognises the value of proposals for regulatory sandboxes to support innovation in emerging technologies. Councils are already using tools (such as AI) across a range of services and are keen to go further to deliver value for money for residents, improved ways of working and better services, but progress is often constrained by a lack of regulatory clarity and coherence.
- The Regulating for Growth Bill can help address this by providing a safe, controlled environment to test new approaches and build confidence in compliance with statutory duties. These sandboxes also offer an opportunity to generate learning that can be shared across the sector and accelerate wider adoption While many councils are already using these approaches effectively, access remains inconsistent and should be actively included in opportunities to safely test new technologies.
- To be effective, sandboxes must be designed to work for local government, addressing barriers such as limited capacity and resources, technical challenges, and information security concerns, and recognise councils as key partners in shaping and delivering innovation, which allows for councils to become more effective and efficient.
Highways (Financing) Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Enable a new financing approach to fund large-scale road schemes, supporting the Government’s commitment to deliver a modern transport network that helps people get to where they need to more easily and safely. The Bill enables the delivery of schemes through private investment, reducing the financial burden on taxpayers while ensuring strong regulatory oversight to protect the interests of users.
LGA view
- This measure could help deliver long-term certainty and investment in our strategic roads network and support economic growth. The Bill is a good opportunity for councils and National Highways to work together to deliver local and national road networks.
- However, the strategic network only accounts for 2 per cent of the total network meaning that almost every journey starts or ends on the remaining 98 per cent of the network which is run by local authorities. The Government must provide the same long-term focus on securing investment in local roads. This includes maintenance, as the current £18.62 billion backlog of road repairs slows economic growth. Good road infrastructure is important for all road users and modes of transport. It keeps cyclists and pedestrians safe and bus services reliable, which is vital if we are to keep attracting more people back onto public transport.
Overnight Visitor Levy Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Provide a legislative framework to enable mayors and potentially other local leaders to introduce an overnight visitor levy. It is anticipated that the Bill will address the broad conditions under which a levy may be introduced, as well as the structure of the tax.
- The Government will shortly publish a response to the consultation, setting out stakeholder views and providing further detail on the design and implementation of the levy, including a position on extending this power to Foundation Strategic Authorities.
LGA view1
- The LGA responded to the Visitor levy in England consultation in February 2026. Devolving a visitor levy to local areas will enable significant investment in the visitor economy, boosting local attractions and tourism businesses.
- Councillors and mayors should be allowed to jointly decide whether to introduce a levy and free to adapt scope and rate of levy to reflect visitor economy. They should also be able to work together to decide how funding is allocated across a strategic authority area, ensuring places where high numbers of visitors travel through or visit but not necessarily stay overnight, can benefit.
- Revenues from a levy should be invested to stimulate growth in the visitor economy locally. Whilst we generally advocate for flexibility over how funding is spent, income from the levy should be spent on activities that benefit or support tourism businesses and visitors. This should include attractions for visitors like large events and culture, heritage and transport services.
- Local decision-makers will have a stronger insight into the local tourism market than national government and are best placed to make these decisions based on local data on visitor spending and the views of local businesses in their own area.
- Councils should be allowed to retain a portion of the funding raised to support the services they provide which serve the visitor population. This could include services like parks, waste collections, and public toilets, which are under more pressure from high visitor numbers, as well as those that will attract more tourists, such as culture, heritage, and events.
- It is essential that short term lets, such as Airbnbs, are in the scope of the levy. To support the collection of the levy, the Government needs to introduce a national registration scheme of short term lets so that providers are identifiable.
1. The LGA seeks to operate on a cross-party consensus. The LGA’s support for the introduction of an overnight visitor levy is the majority position of the LGA. The LGA Conservative Group has highlighted its objections to this policy within the organisation on consecutive occasions.
Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Modernise property law, deliver a fair and efficient modern housing market and transform the experience of home ownership for millions of leaseholders across the country. Alongside the ongoing implementation of those reforms to the leasehold system already in statute, the Bill progresses key reforms necessary to honour the manifesto commitment to finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end in this Parliament.
LGA view
- The principal of this Bill reflects the sector’s commitment to resident empowerment. However, the Government needs to ensure it fully understands the implications of these measures on local authorities as landlords, and does not adversely impact a local authority’s ability to make independent decisions necessary to benefit their residents. The Bill, as currently drafted, does not reference local authorities, which gives rise to concerns regarding considerations of the specific statutory and regulatory frameworks within which they operate.
- In particular, any new system must work for developments with a mix of council tenants and leaseholders, where councils retain ongoing responsibility as landlords. Residents must be adequately supported to take on new responsibilities, and councils must still be able to fulfil their legal and regulatory responsibilities to residents, e.g. their responsibility to keep buildings safe.
- The Bill must also ensure it does not negatively impact existing plans to deliver new homes, including by increasing the cost of lending for local authority developers.
Education for All Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Transform support for children and young people with SEND by providing early access to support close to home and ensuring all schools, nurseries and colleges deliver the stretching, rewarding education that all children and young people deserve. The Government will build a truly inclusive education system that works for every family.
LGA view
- Councils have long been calling for reform of the education system to ensure the needs of more children and young people with SEND can be met within mainstream settings where appropriate and without the need for a statutory plan. We are pleased that the Government has acted on those calls, with an ambitious set of reforms with children and young people with SEND at their centre.
- We look forward to working with the Government, as well as partners including parents and carers and, most importantly, children and young people themselves to co-produce these reforms, ahead of the introduction of the legislation and as the detail of implementation is developed, with a clear focus on improving outcomes.
- Reforms to the SEND system will be far-reaching and will need to be phased in over time, whilst ensuring that need continues to be met within the existing statutory framework. Timescales need to be kept under review to ensure they are realistic and there will need to be sufficient funding to both build capacity now and ensure that the transition to the new system is effective.
- The recent announcement that 90 per cent of councils’ historic Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits will be written off is welcome and provides councils with some breathing space whilst reforms set out in the Schools White Paper are implemented and capacity in the existing system is increased. But the 90 per cent write-off implies that councils will have to manage a residual debt of around £500 million while the OBR has forecast that new deficits of £8.7 billion will then accrue over 2026-27 and 2027-28. To ensure that discussions on reform focus solely on meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND quickly and effectively, Government must commit to ensuring that all DSG deficits are written off, ahead of the statutory override ending in March 2028.
Representation of the People Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Bring British democratic traditions into the modern era, ensuring that they are stronger, safer and more inclusive, while protecting our democracy from external threats.
- The Bill also protects the integrity of elections by tightening political finance rules, strengthening enforcement by the Electoral Commission, improving transparency around digital campaign material, and introducing tougher measures to tackle harassment and intimidation of candidates, campaigners, and electoral staff.
LGA view
- The LGA believe elections should be a ‘no fail’ service in which eligible electors should be facilitated to cast their vote. This Bill will introduce a raft of reforms to the electoral landscape.
- We support actions to improve registration rates of eligible voters; however, a combination of financial and capacity pressures in councils and new requirements has put excessive pressure on the system. Risks associated with data sharing to enable new automated voter registration must be dealt with at a national level and not left to local authorities to manage individually.
- Existing electoral legislation is incredibly complex and difficult to navigate for both voters and administrators, increasing the risk of delivery issues or voter disenfranchisement. We would encourage the Government to take this opportunity to consolidate electoral law into a single framework, helping to address these concerns and streamline voter experience.
- Stronger sentencing for crimes motivated by hostility towards candidates and campaigners is positive; however, these deterrents will only work if the police and Crown Prosecution Service are willing and consistent in their approach to investigating and prosecuting these crimes.
- We note councillor standards reform was not included in the King’s Speech. Councillors are the centre of local democracy and should be held to high standards of conduct and integrity while fulfilling their role. The current system does not meet the requirements of modern local government to address these rare incidents of behaviour that falls beneath expectations. We would have supported the inclusion of the Government’s commitment, as set out in November 2025, to legislate for a strengthened regime, including a new national mandatory code of conduct and robust sanctions in the King's Speech.
- We also await further detail on the Government’s previously announced commitment, set out in June 2025, on remote attendance at council meetings. Council meetings are a vital part of the local governance processes and provide a key mechanism for decision-making, scrutiny and accountability. Being a councillor is a duty and a privilege that many take up to serve their communities, and allowing remote attendance at council meetings could support councils to reduce the democratic deficit. We believe councils should be trusted to set these arrangements and that this flexibility would provide councils with the power to create arrangements that work best for them and their communities, whilst maintaining public accountability and visibility to the residents that they serve.
Remediation Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Deliver on the manifesto commitments to fix the cladding crisis and make those responsible pay towards fixing the problem they caused.
LGA view
- The LGA believes that people have a right to be safe and feel safe in their own home. Councils have worked hard to remediate their own buildings and are keen to continue to work with Government to drive the pace of remediation.
- We have long argued that industry should pay for building safety remediation costs, and provisions in the Bill to ensure construction product manufacturers contribute to the cost of remediation are supported.
- Local authorities have been taking enforcement action to enforce the removal of dangerous cladding, with the LGA supporting council action under the Housing Act 2004 being supported by the Joint Inspection Team (JIT) the LGA hosts. Additional powers to compel building owners to do the right thing, including being able to use the remediation backstop, will assist councils and Fire and Rescue Authorities. However, they will need additional capacity and resources including in their legal services if they are to successfully undertake criminal prosecutions and will need to be able to recover all the costs they might incur in using the remediation backstop.
- The provisions in the Bill mandating how external wall assessments are carried out need to address the concerns of councils and the JIT about the quality of Fire Risk Assessments of External Wall systems (FRAEWs) used to assess remediation work. Unless there is a significant increase in quality and the experience and skills of those carrying out FRAEWs it is possible the Bill will not ensure all fire risks in high and medium rise residential buildings are addressed. In mandating how external wall assessments are carried out the LGA believes further consideration should be given to the technical standards underpinning FRAEWs including PAS 9980 and the Bill will have to put in place a robust audit process to check FRAEWs are fit for purpose.
- As building owners, councils have embraced the ability to access the Cladding Safety Scheme to remediate their social housing stock. However, they remain concerned about the capacity in the fire safety and construction industries to be able to deliver the remediation programmes they are putting in place and to meet a new legal duty to remediate their buildings. Alongside this Bill the Government must ensure social housing regulators take into account these capacity issues when assessing progress in remediating social housing stock.
Sporting Events Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Support and enhance the UK's status as a world leading host of major sporting events. The Bill will ensure these events – including EURO 2028 - can be delivered as efficiently as possible and enhance our competitive advantage when bidding for future global tournaments. It builds on our world-class reputation for delivering major sporting events and shows the world we are ‘event ready’, in line with the manifesto commitment.
LGA view
- The Bill presents an opportunity to join up the Government’s ambitions to be a world leading host of major sporting events with its ambitions to tackle physical and economic inactivity.
- Public leisure facilities provide affordable access to sport for all ages and backgrounds, helping build lifelong participation and interest, being physically active reduces the burden on the NHS and supports people to stay in work. Leisure facilities also contribute significantly to the economy, supporting 585,000 jobs and generating £39 billion through activity such as memberships, equipment sales and match fees. Beyond this, they play a critical role in developing future sporting talent and provide the essential infrastructure from which 75 per cent of grassroots sports clubs and 66 per cent of NHS rehabilitation services operate. However, the public sport and leisure infrastructure is under significant pressure, with two‑thirds of facilities ageing. The LGA has long called for dedicated and more investment to enable rapid development and refurbishment of facilities, supporting long‑term financial sustainability. Without this investment, there is a risk of service reductions or closures, with significant impacts on community health and wellbeing, widening inequalities and reduced access to vital local assets.
Police Reform Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Restore the public’s trust in policing by driving down waste, cutting bureaucracy and empowering officers to focus on issues that matter most to their communities.
- The Bill will deliver the biggest reform to policing in decades, strengthening local policing, improving standards, and equipping the police with the technology and skills to keep pace with criminals and tackle rapidly changing threats.
- It will create a police service that is more rooted in local communities and focused on their needs, more coherent in the way it is organised, more consistent in achieving high standards, and more capable in terms of its workforce, technology, and use of data.
LGA view
- The protection of local communities has always been at the core of policing. We are therefore pleased to see that the strong link between policing and local communities will be maintained, particularly in areas which will see the introduction of new local authority led policing boards. We pay tribute to the important work that Police and Crime Commissioners have done, particularly their role in delivering safer communities. We look forward to further detail from the Home Office on the plans for local policing boards and working with the Government to establish them.
- The LGA supports the introduction of a clear and comprehensive legal framework that applies to the use of biometric technologies by law enforcement organisations. From a local government perspective, clarity and consistency in the legal basis for the use of these technologies is essential to maintaining public confidence, ensuring proportionality and supporting effective partnership working at a local level. We look forward to working with Government to develop a single, coherent framework would help address the current patchwork of legislation and guidance, making it easier for both practitioners and the public to understand when and how biometric technologies may be used.
- The English Devolution White Paper set out a commitment to realign public authority boundaries, so that over time, public services are delivered over the same areas as Strategic Authority boundaries, including those of police, probation, fire and health services. The Government now needs to come forward with a clear timetable and a commitment to support those areas not part of the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) or home to an existing foundation or mayoral strategic authority. It should also provide a framework for the wider integration of public services, including reform of police and crime services and commissioners, to ensure there is coordination across Government departments, and efficient use of local and broader public service resources and capacity to meet national ambitions for change.
NHS Modernisation Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Improve care for patients through investment and modernisation. The Bill will enhance patient safety and experience through a new Single Patient Record, enabling joined-up, proactive care and empowering patients. The Bill puts power and resources in the hands of frontline NHS organisations by abolishing NHS England and stripping back national bureaucracy.
LGA view
- The LGA recognises the ambition to reform the National Health Service and improve how services are delivered. The requirement for ICBs and partners to develop plans at neighbourhood level rightly reflects the importance of locally tailored approaches. Local government will be critical to this, bringing a detailed understanding of communities and the ability to convene partners to support joined-up, place-based care. As the Bill is implemented it will be important to ensure alignment with existing statutory arrangements and planning processes across health and local government including the role of Health and Wellbeing boards, to support effective joint working and avoid unnecessary complexity.
- Strong integration depends on effective local leadership and collaboration. Removing mandatory local authority representation from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) is a step backwards from a joined-up and localised approach, given councils are at the forefront of neighbourhood and place-based delivery. This also risks weakening the link between system decision-making and local need, particularly as ICBs cover larger populations, and local government should continue to play a formal role in ICB decision-making.
- Local Healthwatch plays an important role in ensuring the views of patients and communities are heard. We are concerned that removal without a clear alternative, or splitting responsibilities between councils and Integrated Care Boards, risks fragmentation, duplication and a gap in statutory patient voice and public accountability. It is critical that there is an effective and robust plan to retain the local functions of Healthwatch in another statutory body.
- The LGA supports the introduction of a Single Patient Record (SPR) as a foundation for integrated, person‑centred care. To deliver its full value, the SPR must be interoperable across the whole health and care system, including social care. In time there could also be a valuable opportunity for it to include the wider determinants of health such as housing and benefits, supporting a shift towards a Single Person Record. Progress is currently limited by inconsistent data standards and fragmented information governance, which must be addressed through a unified, system‑wide approach focused on linking existing datasets. Development of the SPR should be co‑produced with local government, the NHS and wider partners, drawing on learning from successful regional models to ensure solutions are practical, deliverable and sustainable.
- Digital transformation in health and care must be delivered alongside a clear and sustained commitment to digital inclusion. Councils play a central role in supporting residents to access services through trusted, place‑based support, including face‑to‑face provision and community partnerships. As reforms such as the Single Patient Record are implemented, it will be essential that digital access complements, rather than replaces, non‑digital routes, to avoid deepening health inequalities for people who lack digital skills, confidence, devices or connectivity.
Digital Access to Services Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Renew Britain with accessible public services that work for citizens, and come together on the GOV.UK app. The app will become the front door to accessing public services - as with online banking or shopping apps – with the Digital ID system at its foundation.
- Digital ID will be free to access for anyone who wishes to use it, providing people with a trusted, useful, and secure proof of identity for use across public services and the wider economy, without needing to carry around physical documents that can be lost, forged or stolen. Whether picking up a parcel or accessing public services like free childcare, or proving your right to work, it will give people greater control over their data, with a safe and simple way to decide who gets to see their details when using their Digital ID.
- With inclusion at the core of its design and delivery, the national Digital ID will be a necessary foundation for tackling the exclusion of those who cannot access traditional forms of ID like a passport or driving license. By providing a free to access, trusted proof of identity, this is an opportunity to empower those who often lack the time, connections, and resources to navigate confusing and time-consuming checks, forms, rooms, and front-desks.
LGA view
- Councils should be recognised, empowered, and supported as essential strategic partners in shaping and delivering a national Digital ID system. Their central role in local service delivery means that early and sustained involvement is critical to ensure digital identity works with local workflows and service journeys.
- Through their trusted community relationships, statutory responsibilities, leadership on digital inclusion, and stewardship of sensitive data, councils are uniquely placed to help shape a digital identity experience that works for every resident, in every place, for specific purposes.
- Delivering Digital ID as part of genuinely joined-up public services will require a modern, interoperable digital backbone across the sector. Councils’ ability to unlock the value of their data is currently constrained by fragmented legacy systems and restrictive supplier practices that limit interoperability, slow transformation, and hinder integrated service delivery across the public sector.
- Local and combined authorities play a central role in driving digital inclusion, using their reach, services and partnerships to support residents with access, skills, confidence and motivation to engage digitally. For Digital ID to work in practice, it must build on this foundation and be inclusive by design, working alongside non digital routes and assisted support so people without devices, connectivity or skills are not excluded from essential services. Strengthening the role of local government will be critical to this, including building the capacity and capability of councils across all areas of the country.
Public Office (Accountability) Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Deliver on the manifesto commitment to bring forward a Hillsborough Law.
- The measures in this Bill will end the culture of cover-ups and institutional defensiveness by bringing forward measures that create duties of candour; individual accountability; honesty and frankness when things go wrong; and ‘parity of arms’ at inquests.
LGA view
- The LGA will work with the Government to understand the implications of the Bill for local authorities including the need to put in place systems to fulfil the duty of candour, reviewing their own codes of conduct, providing training to councillors and staff, reviewing procurement and the additional resources needed in relation to inquiries and inquests including additional pressures on coroners’ budgets.
- In addition the LGA will raise with Government how this legislation will interact with legal professional privilege, data protection and confidentiality laws, the extent the new provisions apply to contractors and suppliers such as joint ventures and arms-length bodies, and clarity on the breadth of the new criminal offences including what is defined as a seriously improper act.
Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Make everyday journeys safer, fairer and easier. The Bill will strengthen public safety, remove barriers for disabled passengers, and reflect how people travel today, including the use of booking apps. By supporting a growing, innovative sector while making streets safer, especially for women and girls, the Bill will deliver taxi and private hire services people can trust.
- This growing, nationally operating sector is regulated through an outdated and fragmented framework, leading to inconsistent standards, safeguarding risks, and ineffective enforcement. National standards will help, but further legislative measures are needed to align licensing with journeys, enable information sharing, and ensure resources are matched to risk and activity. The draft Bill provides the necessary framework to address these systemic issues.
LGA view
- The LGA has long called for comprehensive reform of the legislation underpinning taxi and private hire vehicle licensing to make it fit for the 21st century – particularly the steps to implement Baroness Casey’s recommendations, specifically national standards and enforcement powers, with funding for enforcement matched to where services are delivered, as well as mandating the use of a national database of all licensed vehicles, drivers and PHV operators and steps to support disabled passengers.
- We are pleased the Bill does not reference transferring control of taxi/PHV licensing to local transport authorities, as we do not believe this will tackle out of area working. The LGA looks forward to supporting the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill and to playing an active part in setting national standards.
Armed Forces Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Ensure that the legal framework remains in place for the Armed Forces to be recruited and maintained as disciplined bodies. The Bill also delivers the Government’s commitment to those who keep us safe and demonstrates that the Government is on the side of our forces, our veterans, and their families. It will extend the Armed Forces Covenant legal duty, deliver better defence housing, provide better protections for those who serve through reforms to the Service Justice System and expand the pool of Reserves.
LGA view
- The first principle of the Covenant is that those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. The LGA supports a future aspiration of moving beyond ensuring no disadvantage and instead embedding an active advantage for veterans in functions delivered by the public bodies outlined in the Covenant. The extension of the legal duty will need to be supported by clear guidance on its use and a clear understanding of any costs to councils.
- The LGA recognises that Armed Forces personnel can face unique circumstances that increase their risk of homelessness. The LGA is keen to see more detail on the Defence Housing Service as it is important that links with local housing services and other community services are made clear.
- The National Homelessness Strategy emphasises the importance of ensuring councils are equipped to support veterans at risk. We encourage the Government to continue engaging with us through the Covenant and the forthcoming strategy to provide clear duties and requirements.
Immigration and Asylum Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Address the scale of illegal arrivals and increase the Government’s ability to remove those with no right to be here. This legislation will bring into effect the main reforms announced in the Restoring Order and Control statement in November 2025.
- The Government will build on the changes already made – making refugee status temporary and securing co-operation from a number of countries who had previously refused to take back those with no right to be in the UK. The Bill will restore order and control to the immigration system: speeding up the removal and deportation of foreign criminals and those with no right to be here, and reducing the pull factors driving illegal migration.
LGA view
- The LGA wants to work with Government on developing and funding a better system for accommodating and supporting asylum seekers.
- We will be looking at this Bill in detail to understand any implications for local government. Local government will play a crucial part in any changed system, and we are therefore keen to support engagement well in advance of implementation with the LGA and with councils across the UK.
- More broadly, the LGA remains committed to working in partnership to develop an asylum system where the Home Office engage with and obtain the consent of councils well in advance of any decisions to open or close asylum accommodation and one which minimises homelessness and destitution.
- The LGA has long called for a new Modern Slavery Bill to clarify in domestic law council obligations to victims of modern slavery. The best outcomes are often achieved when councils have a dedicated modern slavery coordinator to support victims, disrupt perpetrators, and provide efficiencies and savings through a coordinated approach. Councils need dedicated funding to have or have regional access to a modern slavery coordinator.
- Councils recognise the need to ensure that there are measures in place to ensure the modern slavery framework is not exploited by people who may not have been victims of modern slavery. However, it is important to ensure that the framework safeguards and supports victims of modern slavery and reflects that large numbers of victims are UK nationals who have been exploited here; the modern slavery framework does not only support non-UK nationals who have travelled to the UK.
Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
- Increase the UK’s defences against cyber attacks and better protect the services that people rely on every day.
- The Bill will deliver a fundamental step change in the UK’s national security – making essential digital services more secure in the face of cyber criminals and state actors who want to disrupt our way of life – ensuring the economy is better protected. This will make the UK a safer place to live, work and do business.
LGA view
- Councils are the front door to many critical services and operate within a wider public sector ecosystem that increasingly relies on shared data and using digital technologies to deliver modern joined-up public services. Improved threat intelligence, incident reporting, and information sharing could support faster and more consistent incident response across the sector.
- The focus on supply chain resilience and greater regulation of Information Technology (IT) suppliers is positive, given councils’ reliance on third-party providers to deliver and operate critical systems. Bringing data centres within scope supports secure data-sharing and provides an important foundation for the safe, trusted adoption of AI across public services.
- Clarity, proportionality and support will be essential, as many councils operate legacy systems and have limited specialist cyber or procurement capacity to review contracts, undertake audits or provide advice. Clear guidance will help councils meet new expectations in practice without adding disproportionate pressure on already stretched teams. Councils recognised for good practice should continue to be supported and encouraged, including through the LGA’s sector-led improvement programme, to engage across the sector to share learning, drive improvement and strengthen peer-to-peer support.
- As key partners in public service delivery, councils must be engaged with any new cyber measures as they are implemented. Ongoing collaboration, clear guidance, and alignment with existing cyber strategies, such as the Cyber Action Plan and the Government Cyber Security Strategy, will support councils to play their role in strengthening national resilience.
Social Housing Renewal Bill
The Government says that its intention in this Bill is to:
LGA view