£2 million fund for local action on air quality

2 September 2020
£2 million fund for local action on air quality
The government has announced the latest round of funding for local projects to improve air quality across England.
Under the Air Quality Grant scheme, local authorities can bid for a portion of at least £2 million for a wide range of projects to improve air quality and create cleaner and healthier environments.
Since it was established, the scheme has awarded approximately £64.5 million to a variety of projects benefitting schools, businesses and communities, and reducing the impact of dirty air on people’s health.

Government’s £2bn Kickstart scheme opens

2 September 2020
Government’s £2bn Kickstart scheme opens
A new scheme to help young people into work has been launched in the hope of creating high-quality, government-subsidised jobs across the UK.
Under the £2 billion Kickstart scheme, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of his Plan for Jobs, employers can offer youngsters aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit a six-month work placement. The government will fully fund each ‘Kickstart’ job - paying 100 per cent of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.

Merging councils risks ‘alienating’ communities, says DCN

1 September 2020
Merging councils risks ‘alienating’ communities, says DCN
The District Councils Network is urging ministers not to implement proposals to scrap 213 smaller councils and replace them with 25 larger bodies.
The proposal was recently voiced by the County Council Network, which argued that single unitary councils could deliver £3 billion worth of savings over five years and ‘maximise’ the benefits of economic growth and housing policy.

Pension-style solution is best fix for social care crisis

1 September 2020
Pension-style solution is best fix for social care crisis
A new report by the Centre for Policy Studies has found that a pension-style model would be most cost-effective solution for social care reform.
The centre-right think tank has considered the three leading options for social care reform, ranking them by cost, political feasibility and impact on supply.

Scrapping election watchdog 'undermines democracy'

1 September 2020
Scrapping election watchdog 'undermines democracy'
Opposition parties have warned that proposals to abolish or significantly revamp the Electoral Commission risks undermining faith in democracy.
The move against the Electoral Commission, as outlined by the Conservatives’ co-chair Amanda Milling, has been dubbed an attempt to prevent the exposure of ‘embarrassing funding connections to Russian oligarchs’.
The Electoral Commission regulates political donations, spending and other areas, with the power to undertake its own investigations and fine parties and officials for breaches of the rules.