Councils will need to re-prioritise certain public services

The Local Government Association has warned that councils across the country will need to re-prioritise certain public services as they lead efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Council leaders state that by cutting unnecessary burdens and freeing up capacity in councils, the Government’s emergency Coronavirus Bill is positive. The LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, has published a briefing on the measures contained in the Bill and sets out further powers needed to help local government.

These include: temporarily relaxing the requirements on councils regarding GDPR and FOI; allowing councils to turn on the power to relax their adult social care duties under the Care Act in their areas, rather than reserving this power to the Secretary of State; and creating a new duty of care for landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to ensure tenants can satisfactorily self-isolate. This should include a power to levy a significant fine for non-compliance and/or give the local council the power to revoke HMO licence for breach of this duty.

Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Councils are stepping up to play their role in supporting the national effort to tackle the Coronavirus. Acting as a fourth emergency service, local government is prioritising the most vulnerable to ensure they have the support they need. This is essential work in the nation’s interests. Councils will step-up, but this emergency will stretch them and their teams to the maximum as it will all public services. Additional powers should be added to the legislation to further support councils in their efforts to tackle this emergency.”