News and views from the Local Government Association “A properly managed taxi and private hire vehicle system ensures that drivers know what is required of them and people feel confident and safe. Passengers must be at the centre of the service.� Cllr Tony Page, LGA licensing spokesman P9
P10 Drink-drive limit
We campaign for a reduction in the legal alcohol level
P9 Taxi licensing Our guide to managing this challenging area
P8 Public protection What next for regulatory services? Fortnightly Issue 584 14 March 2015
P13 Peace Commission Devolution for non-metropolitan economic growth
EDITORIAL
Keeping pressure on for Budget This week, many councils will have finalised budgets for the year ahead. Next week, the Chancellor will be doing the same for the last time in this administration. As you grapple with the realities of cuts to your core funding, we are doing all we can to protect you from further tough choices to come. Councils have already saved over £20 billion and continue to prove you are the most efficient part of the public sector. But we know the scope for further efficiencies is limited. If your budgets continue to fall, sooner rather than later it will be the people who use your services who will feel the effects, if they are not doing so already. Our budget submission to the Treasury set out our position in three distinct areas. First, government needs to protect public services and ensure the funding is in place to pay for them. In particular we repeated our call for adult social care funding to be protected in the same way as the NHS budget, as well as for a further £1 billion a year to be provided for maintaining our roads. Second, we called for place-based funding to be the norm, underpinned by multi-year settlements to give you the certainty you need to plan ahead. The multi-year principle has been accepted now by all major parties. Third, we were clear that meaningful devolution of decision-making powers is the only way to ensure that local government finance can be sustainable in the long term. Our “Future Funding” campaign will keep the pressure on this government, and the next, so that you have the resources and control you need to keep delivering for your residents. Cllr David Sparks is Chair of the LGA Editor Dawn Chamarette Design Liberata Design Advertising Amanda Cowen Write to first, Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ T (editorial) 020 7664 3294 T (advertising) 020 7664 3157 email first@local.gov.uk Photography Photofusion and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Print BGP Ltd, Bicester Circulation 18,400 (July 2014) To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk The inclusion of an advert or insert in first does not imply endorsement by the LGA of any product or service. Contributors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the LGA.
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FIRST NEWS
Ofsted ‘marking its own homework’
Government should give councils adequate resources to get on with the vital job of protecting children, the LGA said this week. Commenting on Ofsted’s annual report on social care, Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said that when the NHS struggled to cope with winter pressures, £2 billion was pledged to alleviate the crisis. Whitehall should redress the balance, he added: “Protecting children is one of the most important jobs councils do and this report restates the pressure the system is under. Children’s services are creaking under the strain as they work to protect the most vulnerable children from abuse, neglect and child sexual exploitation.” Cllr Simmonds was also critical of the credibility of Ofsted. He said: “Parents, communities and councillors need to have confidence in the credibility and independence of Ofsted’s judgments.
“There is a need for an urgent, back to basics review of Ofsted, as there are big question marks over the quality of judgements following what has happened in Rotherham and Birmingham, among others. We are concerned that by trying to be an improvement agency as well as an inspectorate, Ofsted is marking its own homework.” He said high-profile crimes of abuse and neglect had brought sharply into focus the need for vigilance. Cllr Simmonds added: “As a result, there are rightly thousands more children on the radar of social services now. But this is in a climate where councils have faced cuts to their budgets of 40 per cent since 2010. “Councils know they have a key role to play in looking after children but it is not a job which they can do alone. We need a million eyes and ears looking out for our young people. Far too many times social workers hear of abuse too late, when we need to be intervening earlier.”
Inside this issue 05 Policy Sprinklers save lives
08 Feature
The future of regulatory services
10 Feature
We must cut the drink-drive limit
07 Letters
13 Feature
07 Opinion
15 Last word
Our voting system Cold weather deaths
Peace Commission ‘Prosperity pays for everything’
Businesses back rates as a local tax More than two thirds of UK businesses agree that councils should be able to set business rates locally. Polling for the LGA, by ComRes, found 68 per cent of businesses across the UK agree that business rates should be set locally in discussion with local businesses. Just seven per cent disagreed. Support for locally-set business rates is broad across the businesses surveyed, notably among companies in the manufacturing (73 per cent) and service industry (72 per cent). It is particularly high among businesses in the south-east (83 per cent), the north-east and Yorkshire and Humber (76 per cent) and in the East Midlands and East Anglia (65 per cent). The poll also found almost half (47 per cent) of UK businesses are concerned about the impact on their business of cuts to council services, such as road maintenance, planning and licensing, over the next few years. The LGA is calling on the
Chancellor to commit to devolving control of business rates down to local government as part of this month’s Budget. LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks said: “This polling shows that businesses up and down the country and across different industries have lost faith in the current system of business rates and agree that it should be a local tax set by local areas. “Councils could do much more to support small businesses if we were given the freedom and finance to set rates and discounts locally. We could also invest in infrastructure and vital local services if all of the money a business paid was retained by local government. “Councils and the majority of businesses agree that it is essential that any reform of business rates must make it a truly local tax which gives them freedom to work together to boost growth and ensure local economies and businesses thrive.”
Raising the flag for Commonwealth Day
News in brief Take part in Finance Day to protect funding
A Local Government Finance Day will be held on Tuesday, March 24 as part of the LGA’s ongoing campaign work on council funding. The LGA will be using the occasion to set out calls for the next government to protect local government funding and highlight the good work councils have been doing to manage reductions so far. You can expect to see news stories, social media activity and the launch of a new campaign video. You can get involved on Twitter by using the hashtag #futurefunding and check www.local.gov.uk/ futurefunding for details of a Twitter Thunderclap to share the video.
Government supports LGA’s smoke detector campaign
Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt has backed a key LGA call for all private sector landlords to install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. New regulations will be laid before this Parliament ends, she announced at the LGA’s annual fire conference in Gateshead, this week (March 10). Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, said: “The LGA has vigorously campaigned for this measure, which will save hundreds of lives every year. While the majority of private sector landlords are reputable and voluntarily install alarms, there are a small minority who do not, needlessly putting lives at risk.”
Government youth training failing to engage local employers
Craven District Council Chairman Linda Brockbank led a flag raising ceremony for schoolchildren outside Skipton Town Hall for Commonweatlh Day on 9 March. It was one of 500 Commonwealth flags raised simultaneously throughout the UK to mark the day. Pupils learnt about Commonwealth countries and made their own flags. Cllr Brockbank said: “The Commonwealth is an important part of our nation’s past and present. With the help of the next generation, it will be viable in the future.” Skipton Town Mayor Cllr John Dawson is also pictured, along with his wife and the Chairman’s consort.
Not enough teenagers are taking up apprenticeships, with the number of 16 to 19-yearold apprentices decreasing by 10,000 since 2010, according to the Education Select Committee. Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Government is struggling to work with local employers to create enough opportunities for youngsters and a quarter of all teenagers that do get an apprenticeship drop out early. Rather than spending more money on a system which is clearly struggling to meet the needs of young people, the Government should recognise that it cannot guarantee the quality of apprenticeships from Whitehall and commit to devolving funding for youth training to local areas.”
FIRST NEWS
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LGA Climate Local Conference Rising to the challenge: a local government story on delivering climate resilience
Monday 23 March 2015, London Share the successes of Climate Local councils in creating resilient communities while also identifying some of the challenges facing local government as a whole in adapting to changing climate, particularly in the wider context of budget cuts and conflicting local priorities. Speaker details and bookings: www.local.gov.uk/events
gold sponsor
Vital to councillors, directors, senior officers, directors of public health, policy makers and service managers, indeed any individual or organisation with responsibilities for children and adults in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, the event will include a mix of keynote and ministerial addresses as well as plenary sessions by significant players in the adult, children and education sectors. There will also be the opportunity to participate in breakouts and networking. A platform for policy announcements, the event offers the opportunity for discussions with ministerial and shadow teams.
Book your place at www.local.gov.uk/events
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FIRST ADS
firstpolicy are more satisfied with the work we undertake on their behalf, believe we are more influential in shaping the agenda for local government and say we have become more effective at representing their views.
Leadership academy
analysis to inform decisionmaking. For further information, see www.laria.org
First for innovation Cllr Val Gibson of Wolverhampton City Council, this year’s winner of the LGiU Innovation Achievement of the Year Award, praised the LGA’s Leadership Academy for giving her the skills and confidence to carry out her cabinet role and win the title in the councillor category. She said: “I have to say, that without the Leadership Academy that I attended for 2013/14, I doubt if I would have had the confidence to allow a nomination to go in, let alone actually attend the awards ceremony. The Academy really has helped me in my role as Cabinet Member for Children and Families in Wolverhampton. Thank you to the LGA and the Leadership Academy.” To find out more about the Leadership Academy, see the Support section of www.local.gov.uk.
Award winner
Environment
Association excellence The LGA won a Mark of Excellence in the Best UK Association category of The Association Excellence Awards 2015. Judged by a panel of chief executives from the public and private sectors and professional organisation, the annual awards are held by The Global Conference Network (GCN). The judges were impressed by the LGA’s successes as the national voice of local government. Our work in the media and in Parliament over the last year has seen significant improvements in member feedback: members
Energy efficiency Bristol – the UK’s first place to win the title European Green Capital for a year is hosting a workshop on the subject “how to maximise Energy Efficiency Investment for the public sector” on 26 March in the city. Among topics covered, it will look at ideas around developing a £50 million Energy Efficiency Fund. Discussions may include securing finance for longer term payback periods, EU funding opportunities, and combining projects into larger programmes. Contact freddie. collins@bristol.gov.uk.
Health and wellbeing
Care Act
With just over two weeks to go until part one of the Care Act comes into force, the latest stocktake of all councils in England shows 99 per cent are very or fairly confident in being able to implement the social care reforms required in April 2015, but still have some concerns. The most significant areas of current concern are the unknown number of assessments that will have to be undertaken for carers and for self-funders, both of which carry substantial cost implications for local authorities. Full results and an overview are available on the stocktake section of www.local.gov.uk/care-support-reform.
Fire and rescue Sprinklers Ahead of Fire Sprinklers Week, which starts on 16 March, Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee said: “This year’s Fire Sprinkler Week focusses on how fitting sprinkler systems can provide schools, colleges and businesses with the best possible protection. The facts speak for themselves. Sprinklers are highly reliable – they go off accidentally just one in 14 million times. Firefighters are forced to use 15 times more water from hoses to do the same job as a sprinkler does. The average cost of an industrial fire is £1.5 million; for a department store it’s £3 million. Losses from fires in buildings protected with
sprinklers, however, are one tenth of these. The LGA is proud to support the week and urges all committee chairs and Chief Fire Officers to support and promote Fire Sprinkler Week in their areas.” The LGA represents 49 fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales.
Information Local area research From 16 to 29 March, the LGA will be supporting Local Area Research Fortnight, which LARIA (the Local Area Research and Information Association) is running to coincide with their annual conference. The LGA says that, with the increasingly limited resources in local government, it is more essential than ever to draw on good research and
FIRST POLICY
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sound bites Cllr Ged Mirfin (Con, Ribble Valley) “Great Article by @CllrJoeCooney in first magazine from @LGANews which has just arrived in the post. We need to be proactive in the North.” www.twitter.com/NorthernTory Cllr Kevin Peel (Lab, Manchester) “Pizza, pyjamas and laptop tonight to power through some #CllrKev work. Currently trying to decide background telly accompaniment!” www.twitter.com/kevpeel Association Awards “A mark of excellence for UK Association goes to The Local Government Association well done all @LGAcomms @LGANews”. www.twitter.com/AssocAwards Cllr Peter Ruffles (Con, Hertford) “Had fun unwinding last night after a day of meetings, out with Flash Liquid washing green yuk from street signs. Big improvement!” www.twitter.com/PeterRuffles Cllr Greg Stone (Lib Dem, Newcastle) “Random Twitter moment of the day – a favourite received from the Slovak ambassador to the UK!” www.twitter.com/gm_stone Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following? Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk
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FIRST COMMENT
letters
Action on new homes Sutton Council fully supports the LGA’s campaign to devolve more freedoms to councils to deliver housing (first, 582 “Streets Ahead”), and we recently agreed a council motion on this issue. In the meantime we too have taken action on the new powers already granted, in order to deliver new housing across all tenures within the London Borough of Sutton. As our housing revenue account is no longer in the unfair negativesubsidy position, I am delighted we are now able to use right to buy receipts and prudential borrowing to deliver new council homes for the first time in decades.
We are also setting up a councilowned housing development company that will be a vehicle for us to work more flexibly with housing providers and developers to deliver new housing across all tenures, at prices local people can afford. We are particularly keen to use this vehicle to invest in the private rented sector and offer an affordable and more secure alternative to those unscrupulous landlords who are pricing tenants out and into homelessness or who are prepared to evict tenants for requesting repairs. Cllr Jayne McCoy (Lib Dem) London Borough of Sutton
OPINION
Don’t we represent all our residents?
Regards the comments from Cllr Tim Mickleburgh (first 583). Was I alone in wondering how an elected councillor believes they only represent those who voted for them? Surely we are all tasked with acting on behalf of all our residents, whether they vote or not, never mind who they vote for? I was also concerned to read that only by bringing forth compulsory voting would he treat all groups equally. I thought we were duty bound to so do when we signed up to our roles, never mind any equalities Acts. I can only hope he is speaking for himself and not for anyone else. Cllr Helen Bromley (Con) Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Online voting takes politics to next level
Cllr David Tett (first, Letters 583) agrees with Cllr Stephen Lambert’s Last Word (first, 583, “It’s time for compulsory voting”). I agree: it is time for compulsory voting. It is time for there to be an option stating “none of the above,” but it is also time for us to modernise the way we cast our vote. In the last 50 years, we have seen fewer people voting, especially young people. Do you think that is in part due to the fact we operate such an outdated way in which to vote? If we are serious about getting more people to vote we need to ensure that there is a range of ways to vote. The postal vote was the first step to this. We now need to take the next step – and just think of the money this could save in the long run. People still find it difficult to get to a polling station (disability, work commitments, childcare commitments). Postal voting has helped a lot of people, but imagine having the ability to vote online using
your smartphone. Yes, there will be worries of security and fraud but technology is an enabler and we should look to use it to enable people to vote. It wouldn’t be an easy project to deliver and there will be security issues, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. We need to harness the use of the web and social media – the tool everyone now uses to keep people engaged in politics and take it to the next level. Cllr Steve Hughes (Lab) Rossendale Borough Council
Wholesale reform would increase turnouts
While there is a body of voters who have no interest in ever voting (why we would expect them to vote positively rather than randomly escapes me), most non-voters are disillusioned. Years of broken promises have seen to that. The recent rise of new parties, especially UKIP and the Greens, has not arrested voter decline as the dwindling body of voters are merely switching horses. I don’t think making it easier to actually vote would help but it would increase the opportunity for fraud. Only a wholesale reform of the voting system – for example proportional representation and recall will encourage higher turnouts. As Scotland proved, referendums can engage the average citizen in a way that normal elections can’t. Furthermore an introduction of a “none of the above” tick box would also encourage voters to vote if no party represented them and would be an absolute must if compulsory voting were introduced. Cllr Graham Williamson (Ind Residents Group) London Borough of Havering
What do you think? You can comment on these letters online at www.local.gov.uk/first-letters or submit your own letter for publication by emailing first@local.gov.uk. Letters may be edited and published online
Hidden army could reduce winter deaths
A “hidden army” of heating industry, health and social care professionals could help tackle deaths and illnesses caused by cold homes. A new guideline from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on how to reduce “excess” winter deaths and illness highlights a huge untapped opportunity to help vulnerable people whose health is at risk because of a cold home. Every contact that a vulnerable person has with health and care staff and heating engineers is a chance to improve health and save lives. There are around 24,000 excess winter deaths each year, and many more people are made ill by living in a home that is too cold. Health can be affected when outside temperatures drop to around 6°C. A key recommendation is a single-point-ofcontact referral system, so all staff in contact with vulnerable people have a quick and easy way to get help for someone who needs it. People worried that their home is cold are also encouraged to get in touch with the single-point-of-contact for help with making their home warmer. The European Union classes a comfortable temperature in the home to be 21°C. Vulnerable people are those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, the under-fives, people aged over 65, people with mental health conditions or disabilities, pregnant women and people on low incomes. NICE recommends that health and wellbeing boards should ensure a single-point-of-contact health and housing referral service is commissioned to help vulnerable people in cold homes. Anyone who comes into contact with vulnerable groups should be able to refer people to the service, including health and social care staff and workers from charities and voluntary organisations. We must stop the revolving door where people are made ill by living in a cold home, go into hospital for treatment, but are discharged back to the cold home. What help the person needs should be assessed well before plans are made for discharge so they can get home without delay. Simple actions like asking someone to switch the heating on before a person returns home can make a difference. “Excess winter deaths and morbidity and the health risks associated with cold homes” is available at www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng6
Professor Gillian Leng is Deputy Chief Executive of NICE
FIRST COMMENT
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There is an urgent need for councils to consider the most effective ways of ensuring a sustainable future for public protection services. Cllr Ann Lucas says doing nothing is not an option and invites you to comment on the LGA’s ideas and discussion points outlined in ‘Remodelling Public Protection’.
What next for public protection services? Environmental health, licensing and trading standards services carry out vital work protecting residents, consumers, businesses and communities but are facing significant challenges. Largely reliant on general council funding they have seen substantial reductions in staff numbers and a significant loss of expertise due to the 40 per cent cut in government funding for councils. As a result, concerns have been raised about our national resilience in the event of a major public protection incident – such as the horsemeat scandal in 2013 or the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001 – and the long-term sustainability of these services with further council funding cuts still to come.
Our new report, Remodelling Public Protection, aims to kick-start this discussion by outlining the challenges the services are facing and the steps needed to try to address them. It is unrealistic to expect that councils can continue to be able to offer the range of public protection services and specialisms they once did. There are core public protection priorities across all councils. However, regulation must be firmly rooted in local circumstances, so that limited resources are targeted most effectively. Whitehall needs to take a much more realistic approach to local capacity when it is implementing new regulations, recognising that the resources to oversee them are already thinly stretched.
All local government services are under pressure, but there has been much less attention on the strains in lower profile services such as these.
Alternatives
And these services face specific challenges because of the huge range of different responsibilities they cover. Trading standards, for example, are bound by 263 statutory functions, over 200 of which have been created since 1990, ranging from regulations governing consumer credit and estate agents to food labelling. There is now an urgent need for councils to think seriously about the most effective ways of ensuring a sustainable future for public protection services.
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FIRST FEATURE
Councils need to ensure they have done all they can to achieve efficiencies, for example through online applications, and electronic payment of licensing fees, including the use of direct debits. They should also consider joining up public protection services and developing lead authority models in different specialisms, an approach already used successfully by the National Anti-Fraud Network and National Trading Standards. Other alternative approaches could prove more controversial. If businesses are ultimately responsible for complying with different regulations, should businesses accept more responsibility for picking up the cost of overseeing this, particularly where they do not comply?
Many councils are already beginning to develop services that businesses want and will pay for as a way of generating income.
Contentious Or could some functions that are currently the responsibility of councils be overseen by businesses? Is there scope for risk-based judgements about the public protection issues that could reasonably be left to businesses to oversee through a self-regulation approach? These are hugely contentious issues but doing nothing is not an option. It is vital that councils, businesses, national regulators, professional bodies and other stakeholders ensure public protection services are placed on a sustainable footing in future years.
Cllr Ann Lucas is Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board You can read “Remodelling Public Protection” at www.local.gov.uk/ publications. We welcome your thoughts on this via community. safety@local.gov.uk.
The LGA has published a handbook to help councillors understand the key issues concerning taxi and private hire vehicle licensing and explain how to manage the challenges in this area of regulation. Cllr Tony Page outlines the issues.
Taxi and private hire: putting passengers first Councils’ critical responsibilities in licensing taxi and private hire vehicle drivers have been highlighted by recent examples of licensed vehicles and premises being used to facilitate the sexual exploitation of young children. Insufficient sharing of information between police and councils, and between different councils; ineffective implementation of the ‘fit and proper’ person test; and a lack of rigour in investigating complaints have all been contributing factors in the failure to identify and tackle exploitation.
Challenges While the circumstances and conditions that failed to prevent these abuses are not being replicated everywhere, every council should now be looking long and hard at their own procedures to ensure they are robust. A properly managed taxi and private hire vehicle system ensures that drivers know what is required of them and people feel confident and safe using the service. Ultimately, passengers must be at the centre of the service. The LGA has drawn together practical advice and learning from recent events into a handbook to help councillors understand some of the key issues concerning taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing. It is intended to be used as a starting point to explain how to manage some of the challenges that can arise in this complex area of business regulation.
As a starting point, no councillor should be permitted to sit on a committee or sub-committee without having been formally trained in licensing procedures, natural justice and other issues deemed locally appropriate, which could include child sexual exploitation, disability awareness or other issues. While there is no requirement to create a single licensing statement or policy for taxi and PHV licensing in the way that there is for the Licensing Act and Gambling Act, the LGA strongly encourages licensing authorities to create a unified policy that brings together all their procedures in one place. This could include policies on convictions, determining the fit and proper person test, licence conditions, and vehicles standards. On conviction policies, the LGA believes that while each case must be determined on its own merits, and some offences are more minor than others, the default position should be that previous indecency offences will normally result in the refusal of an application for a taxi / PHV licence. All councils should have a robust system for recording complaints, including analysing trends across the whole system as well as complaints against individual drivers. The licensing committee should review the complaints procedure and records on at least a yearly basis. And councils should consider working with their neighbours to joint-warrant their officers, allowing enforcement action against vehicles and drivers licensed in neighbouring authorities.
The LGA will press the next government to bring forward a Taxi and PHV Reform Bill at an early point in the next parliamentary cycle. Our proposals will look to modernise the governance system for taxis and PHVs and better protect passengers from the many and varied risks which now exist. One of the main pieces of legislation dates from 1847, which means it predates the even the earliest motor vehicles, let alone online and mobile booking apps. We will seek to strengthen councils’ powers over vehicles operating in their area but not licensed by them. And we will address the barriers to information sharing. However, until this is implemented, it is incumbent on all councils to ensure they are exercising their protective responsibilities to the fullest extent.
Cllr Tony Page is LGA licensing spokesman The LGA is holding a Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Conference on 19 March in Manchester and 31 March in London to discuss these issues and to share best practice. For more information and to book a place visit www.local.gov.uk/events The handbook will be available for download at www.local.gov.uk/ publications
FIRST FEATURE
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The LGA has widespread backing for its bid to reduce the drink-drive limit in England, which is lagging behind most other countries. The move could save up to 170 lives annually and fire authorities would attend hundreds fewer traffic accidents each year.
Lower the drink-drive limit to cut road deaths The LGA, which speaks for Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) in England, says that dropping the current limit from 80mgs to 50mgs per 100ml of blood – which is standard for virtually every other country – could save up to 170 lives annually by significantly reducing the number of road traffic accidents. The call is backed by organisations including the RAC. With Scotland introducing a lower drink-drive limit last year, and Northern Ireland announcing plans to follow suit, latest figures reveal fewer than one in four motorists in England and Wales believe the current UK drink-drive limit should be left at the level of 80mgs per 100ml of blood.
Proposals It is estimated lowering the limit would save almost £300 million annually by reducing the number of call-outs to accidents and the associated public sector costs of police, ambulances, and hospital admissions. Alcohol contributes to about 5,000 road traffic collisions a year – about four per cent of all road traffic collisions. It is also plays a major part in about 13 per cent of all fatal crashes. FRAs believe that cutting the alcohol limit would bring England into line with virtually all other major countries. FRAs up and down the country are running road safety campaigns to tackle drink-driving, which include visits to colleges to give road safety advice and organising demonstrations to show the impact of road traffic collisions and how firefighters release victims. The drink-drive limit was a key issue at the LGA’s annual fire conference in Gateshead, last week. The call forms a central part of the report “The Fire and Rescue Service: Making our Nation Safer”. This is a series of proposals to the next government for how fire and rescue services can improve community safety and save the public purse money, and is part of the LGA’s 100 Days campaign.
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“This country has one of the highest drink drive limits anywhere and the LGA believes that the current limit is simply unacceptable. England is lagging well behind and all other countries cannot be wrong. “Saving lives must be a priority for any government and this measure could save up to 170 annually. “Fire and rescue authorities up and down the country are working hard to reduce the number of road traffic collisions by innovative and highly effective awareness-raising campaigns. The lowering of the drink drive limit would help to support this work and ensure that more people’s lives are saved.” • Jeremy Hilton is Chair, LGA Fire Services Management Committee
“Fire and rescue services now rescue more people from road traffic collisions than from house fires, and crews across the country see first-hand the effects of drink and drug driving nearly every day. “The UK has some of the safest roads in the world and that should be a source of immense pride. However, drink driving is still affecting too many lives and CFOA wants to see the drink drive limit brought down to make it clear that no amount of alcohol is ‘safe’ to drink before driving. Any firefighter will tell you that of all the difficult and shocking things they encounter as part of their job, serious road traffic collisions are very often the worst.” • Peter Dartford is President of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA)
Fire and rescue authorities are already doing a huge amount to prevent drink-related accidents. Here are some examples:
CHESHIRE Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service visited students to demonstrate the dangers of drink-driving and to raise awareness. Students drove go-karts whilst wearing special goggles that impaired their vision, creating a safe simulation of how drinking alcohol could impact their ability to drive safely
DERBYSHIRE Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and their partners in the Police, Ambulance Service and Air Ambulance deliver a series of road safety initiatives through their Dying2Drive campaign. Dying2Drive events are aimed at young drivers, their passengers and young learner drivers. It encompasses a range of road safety initiatives including road traffic collision demonstrations, workshops that can be undertaken with young people at schools or youth groups, and literature and advertising offering guidance and signposting to government road safety initiatives.
HEREFORD AND WORCESTER, SHROPSHIRE AND WARWICKSHIRE Hereford and Worcester, Shropshire and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services are part of the Safer Roads Partnership in Warwickshire and West Mercia. In December 2014, supporting the Association of Chief Police Officers campaign, posters, beermats and other material was targeted at local pubs and clubs throughout the region designed to make people think about the consequences of drink or drug driving and additional advertising took place on local radio, mobile advertising vans and buses.
LONDON A drink drive advert showing a dramatic crash scene, and highlighting the events that follow, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of YouTube viewers.
OXFORDSHIRE Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service worked with the mother of a 19-year-old who died after being struck by a drink-driver, to urge motorists not to get behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol. This initiative coincided with the 50th anniversary of the first drinkdrive public information film from road safety organisation Think!. They promoted non-alcoholic drinks as an alternative to alcohol for drivers and to mark the Think! anniversary. DEVON AND SOMERSET Learn 2 Live is one of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service’s road safety campaigns, aimed at reducing the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads. The event enables the service to talk to young people about the importance of taking care whilst driving and highlights the impact of careless driving. The Learn 2 Live events aim to educate and raise awareness with young people, improve driving standards, increase their responsibilities as passengers and try to encourage young people to report dangerous and anti-social driving. The event is a partnership between the fire and rescue service, police, ambulance, primary care trust and the local authority.
EAST SUSSEX Safe Drive Stay Alive is produced by a partnership including Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service and co-ordinated by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. The objective is to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads of East Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The show explores the consequences of getting involved in a road collision and uses a DVD reconstruction along with live testimonies from emergency services staff and survivors of road traffic collisions. The show emphasises the dangers inexperienced young drivers may encounter, such as excessive speed, using mobile phones, drinking/drug use and peer pressure.
HAMPSHIRE Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s ‘Take Time Out’ initiative aims to raise awareness of the length of time it takes for alcohol to leave your body. The ‘Take Time Out Alcohol Unit Guide’ can be used to help people work out when it may be safe for them to drive.
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The Annual Survey of overview and scrutiny committees by the Centre for Public Scrutiny has become essential for ensuring local authorities get the support needed. Cllr Tony Jackson explains that the current financial cuts make it particularly important to take part.
Being self-critical A key element to any democratic society is a government that understands the value and necessity of overview and scrutiny. Good governance and scrutiny practices are crucial at all levels of government. For local authorities, this will become more challenging as council budgets come under continuing pressure; making it all the more important to ensure that scrutiny functions are adequately resourced. All councils are facing cuts; however democratic services and scrutiny are perhaps more susceptible to budget cuts, due in part to the low visibility of their work, resistance in implementing new scrutiny strategies, and the limited understanding of where scrutiny can add value and be applied. Traditionally, scrutiny has primarily focused on financial and budgetary oversight; however scrutiny can play a more proactive role in areas such as community safety, health services, housing, and education. The Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) is well placed to help meet these new challenges. With a good understanding of the issues likely to emerge, the independent charity – whose local government work is funded by the LGA – is intensifying its efforts to provide local authorities with advice and training, and lobbying the Government to provide greater support to scrutiny services.
Compare In part, CfPS directs its efforts based on data collected through their Annual Survey of Overview and Scrutiny in Local Government – which is currently under way for voluntary completion. CfPS is the only organisation analysing and collecting such data; and the reports produced not only provide a picture into the state of scrutiny on a national and regional level, but enable local authorities to compare themselves, review current trends, and share good practice. Such information sharing is dependant, in part, on the scope and accuracy of the data submitted to the Annual Survey. Good governance and scrutiny needs to be self-critical, open to review and to the updating of practices. The innovative work done by CfPS in identifying and addressing challenges faced by local authorities is essential to further developing the field. Councils have a vested interested in completing the survey
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(which is quite simple and available online) to ensure that practice remains effective. I strongly urge you to do so. Key points from the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s Annual Survey (2014) and report: ‘Hiding in plain sight: barriers to effective local scrutiny’ • Resources and support for scrutiny are at the lowest levels since 2004; • 37 per cent of respondents felt additional or protected resources for scrutiny would make the biggest single difference ; • 74 per cent of respondents felt limited resources would be a barrier to improving scrutiny in the future; • 25 per cent of respondents felt the biggest barrier to effective scrutiny was member commitment, engagement and skills, followed by attitude of senior officers at 24 per cent; • There was an increase from 50 per cent to 70 per cent in the number of councils with a formal system for monitoring scrutiny recommendations. The full report and the survey results are at www.cfps.org.uk/ publications You can fill in CfPS’s annual survey of overview in scrutiny in local government by visiting www.cfps.org.uk/ annualsurvey The deadline for responses is 24 April and the findings will be published in July. If you have a query contact Véronique Rendell-Fournier at 020 7187 7365 or veronique.rendell-fournier@cfps.org.uk
Cllr Tony Jackson is a member of the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s board of trustees
An independent commission in to the role non-metropolitan areas will play in growth calls for bold solutions. Its Chair, Sir John Peace, concludes that greater devolution will deliver a better economic and social future.
Seven steps to growth and prosperity Non-metropolitan areas are the spearhead of England’s competitiveness. Their economic contribution and growth potential is as significant as that of big cities. However, the way spending decisions are taken is holding back growth. Last year I was asked by the LGA to chair the Commission on Economic Growth and the Future of Public Services in Non-Metropolitan England. Our final report was published last week. It explores the unique characteristics of these economies and sets out what more could be done to promote growth and improve services, delivering a better economic and social future for residents.
As the general election approaches, now is the time to review the role nonmetropolitan areas will play in future growth and prosperity. Our proposed strategy is based on seven key recommendations which can be implemented early into the next government’s term and are just as applicable to city regions. These recommendations would clear the path for capital investment in housing, infrastructure, skills and digital connectivity through greater devolution to non-metropolitan areas.
It is clear that there needs to be a better balance of decision making and resources between Whitehall and local government. We have proposed a review of the decision making process and funding for capital projects. This could give consideration to the establishment of a new Infrastructure Investment Bank to fund such projects at a cheaper rate. Housing, transport, skills, broadband and public services are the building blocks of a local economy. Councils are best placed to judge the needs of their local economies, so it makes sense to devolve greater responsibility for these policies to grassroots level.
Collaboration High level skills need national strategies. Yet these national strengths become weaknesses without strong local choice for businesses and residents. There has been good work done by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills and United Kingdom Trade and Investment, and there is a continuing need for a strategic approach to inward investment. But we also propose new Foreign Direct Investment units be set up within local authorities to attract more multinationals and jobs into their areas. A new devolved policy-making landscape should be overseen by a bottom up driven move towards stronger collaboration between councils combining with partners including Local Enterprise Partnerships, health and wellbeing boards and the police. This is something that must be dealt with urgently to avoid a
one size fits all structural solution being imposed from above. Councils will need to transform from organisations that spend central money and provide services directly, to ones that manage and grow their budgets through new revenue streams and deliver services in the most cost effective way whether through private, not for profit, or public sector. Since 2010, local government has seen government funding reduced by 40 per cent; more than any other part of the public sector. Councils have responded with valiant efforts to cut costs and increase efficiencies. With billions of pounds more in cuts still to come, the time has arrived for bold solutions.
The commission’s final report “Devolution to Non-Metropolitan England: Seven Steps to Growth and Prosperity” can be read at www.local.gov.uk/ non-met-commission
Sir John Peace is Chair of the Independent Commission on Economic Growth and the Future of Public Services in NonMetropolitan England
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PARTNERS
Clamping down on pirate radio Illegal broadcasters, or “pirate” radio stations, were responsible for causing interference to air traffic control 43 times last year. They were also responsible for 370 complaints affecting legitimate broadcasters and users of the radio spectrum. Not only are pirate radio stations a menace, they can threaten radio communications of emergency services.
Ofcom works with local authorities to rid society of this menace. By working together we can truly make a difference. When we established a partnership with Haringey, 14 stations were operating. By the end of 2014, Haringey was officially pirate free. There are about 100 illegal radio stations in the UK, with three-quarters based in London. They use powerful home-made transmitters generally installed on local authority high-rise residential blocks. They cause serious damage to property, forcing entry and posing a safety risk by rigging makeshift aerials, often hanging over the edge of rooftops. Pirate operators also steal electricity and jam their transmitters in air ducts and lift shafts. Those involved in illegal broadcasting have used violence and intimidation against local authority workers and tenants. Other anti-social aspects include links to organised crime and gangs, coercing local businesses to pay to advertise and exploiting aspiring talent by making DJs pay to broadcast. At Ofcom, we urge all local authorities affected by such stations to work with us to ensure the wellbeing of residents and avoid the ongoing cost of repairing damage caused by pirates. Effective tactics include: zero tolerance – removing aerials and transmitters as soon as they appear, supported by regular patrols of rooftops; improved security – making points of access secure, fitting alarms, CCTV, and strict control of keys; antisocial behaviour injunctions – jointly gathering evidence against individuals and appointing a single point of contact at your local authority to liaise with Ofcom. Jim McNally is Policy Advisor at Ofcom www.ofcom.org.uk
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PARLIAMENT
Making manifestos The dissolution of Parliament on the 30 March starts what is known as the “short campaign” – the period of political campaigning between the dissolution of Parliament and polling day. Each party has a unique process for agreeing their election manifestos. The Conservative’s is being coordinated by Jo Johnson MP and Oliver Letwin MP. To engage their members, the Party re-launched the Conservative Policy Forum so that individuals and constituency associations could directly contribute to their manifesto. The influential 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs is also providing policy for the manifesto in sub-committees and liaising with their leadership. Local government has made an important contribution as well, with the LGA Conservative Group Office producing a policy document, “Fit for the Future”. This covers a range of key policies and sets out a number of recommendations on local government and builds on some of the ideas in the LGA’s 100 Days campaign report. Jon Cruddas MP has led a wide ranging policy review for the Labour Party comprising eight policy commissions. The LGA Labour Group has contributed through the Local Government Innovation Taskforce which set out a number of key policies on devolution and public service reform. Their Group Leader Cllr Jim McMahon is also a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC). The Labour Party manifesto is agreed at the Clause V meeting: the event at which the NEC, the Shadow Cabinet and other stakeholders agree the contents of the manifesto. No announcement has been made on the publication of the manifesto. For their part, the Liberal Democrats policy is developed democratically through an elected policy committee with party members voting on policy propositions at their conference. David Laws MP has led on co-ordinating the manifesto, with the party hosting a number of regional manifesto roadshows to galvanise ideas. Local government has been at the heart of manifesto
development, with former Newcastle Leader and LGA Vice-President Lord Shipley on the manifesto team. The LGA Liberal Democrat Group has also played a leading role in a range of groups set up to discuss policy, and their councillors serve on the party’s Federal Policy Committee. They can table motions for debate at their conferences, which, if successful, can become party policy. UKIP have just had their spring conference and are launching their manifesto in mid-April. Their councillors have been fully involved in the development of the national manifesto with the Party producing an annual local government manifesto which sets out the priorities of their councillors and communities. Meanwhile, the Green Party held their pre-election conference in early March and their manifesto is expected imminently – members of the Green Party are voting directly on their policy positions. There are more independent locally focused parties than ever this year, some with full manifestos already launched. The LGA Independent Group Leader, Cllr Marianne Overton, has engaged with each of the parties within the Independent Group through regional events and conferences. All manifestos are expected to be released by mid-April and the deadline for candidates to declare that they are standing for Parliament is 9 April. Whatever happens, the election result promises to be the most uncertain in a generation.
BY-ELECTIONS ANALYSIS
LAST WORD
Slim margins are here to stay The death of Gordon Helm, UKIP’s county councillor for the Bocking division, provided the Conservatives with an opportunity to recover the seat lost by just 20 votes in 2013. Taken as a whole, those county and unitary elections were a spectacular success for UKIP – even our close study of by-election trends in the months prior gave few clues about the impending surge. Bocking provides a useful illustration of the consequences of multi-party competition under first past the post voting rules. Helm’s victory in 2013 was secured with just 33 per cent of the vote - a low figure - but hundreds of other councillors elected that day obtained a lower share than that. Multiparty politics, it appears is here to stay, with the Conservative by-election victor in Bocking, Stephen Canning, winning with a 34 per cent vote share. It is likely that a significant proportion of MPs returned this May will be returned with similarly low vote shares and wafer-thin majorities as well. In the event of a hung parliament, that should concentrate the politicians’ minds amidst the talk of a second election this autumn. The three remaining contests are all from London and boosted Labour. Most notable is the improvement in Croydon’s Selhurst ward, which was easily retained with an increased share. Labour’s advance was at the expense of a range of other parties although the turnout was ten percentage points lower than last May. While the Conservative vote held up elsewhere the Liberal Democrats finished fourth and last in both the Brent and Camden by-elections. Within Brent, support for the Liberal Democrats has evaporated, despite the party currently being custodians of
one of the parliamentary seats. Last May its borough-wide vote fell sharply, with only one council seat secured. On general election day 2010 the Liberal Democrats won 18 council seats. The Greens are building a core vote within Camden. In 2010, the party contested every seat and support from one in eight voters. Last May the party’s vote increased to 16 per cent, although it still managed to win only a single seat. A former Green party candidate in the St Pancras and Somers Town ward is Natalie Bennett, who is again contesting the Holborn and St Pancras constituency. She became party leader two years after her attempt to win a Camden seat. Despite this pedigree the Greens are losing rather than gaining support. This does not bode well for the party leader’s personal chances of reaching Westminster. A feature of the forthcoming elections that has been overlooked is that a majority of voters in England will have two ballot papers, one for their local representatives the second for their parliamentary choice. Simultaneous elections present opportunities for voters wishing to divide their choices – so-called “split-ticket” voters. Previous analysis suggests that as many as one in five voters fall into this category. This is the councillors’ re-election dilemma – will they be wanting such voters to remain loyal to them and give the general election vote to rival parties or vice versa? Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher are Directors of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre
Local by-elections Authority
Ward
Essex Brent Camden
Bocking Kenton St. Pancras & Somers Town Selhurst LAB HELD
Croydon
Result
Swing % from/to (since) CON GAIN FROM UKIP 3.7% UKIP/Con (2013) CON HELD 3.4% Con/Lab (2014) LAB HELD 1.4% Con/Lab (2014)
10.4% Con/Lab (2014)
For more statistics, see this story at www.local.gov.uk/first-news
Turnout % 22.9 23.0 20.7 18.6
Prosperity pays for everything It may seem simplistic, but the mantra ‘prosperity pays for everything’ usually does ring true. And it’s a philosophy we embrace whole-heartedly at Somerset County Council.
Economic growth is vital. Every job created, and business that prospers means more money in our coffers through council tax and business rates, and these help fund the services that people value. Add on the benefits of low unemployment, and young people being able to pursue their careers in their home county, and it’s a no-brainer. There is a clear public expectation that we should drive the growth agenda. Our public engagement indicated that ‘attracting jobs and apprenticeships’ was second only to ‘looking after the vulnerable and elderly’ in terms of people’s priorities. Capital investment is key (we have well over £50m of capital projects identified for 2015/16) to creating an environment where business is nurtured and can flourish. This month we will open a £1.6m Enterprise Centre in Highbridge. It will cater for light industry offering facilities such as flexible office space and fibre optic broadband. We have two businesses waiting to move in and others planning to follow. It aims to offer local businesses start up and growth space, as well as attract businesses from outside the county. Construction has also started on an Innovation Centre in Bridgwater, jointly funded by the council, European Structural Funds and LEP Growth Deal funds. It will provide high-quality space for businesses specialising in low carbon energy technology, supporting the Hinkley supply chain and the growing low carbon energy sector – cutting edge businesses creating skilled jobs. Close working with partners is essential. We are pivotal players in the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and it’s a partnership that has made sure millions of pounds of government investment makes its way into Somerset. Providing for our highly valued public services with dwindling Westminster funding is increasingly a ‘fishes and loaves’ exercise. This is why pushing the sustainable economic growth agenda and increasing income is so important. Remember, “prosperity pays for everything”. Cllr John Osman (Con) is Leader of Somerset County Council
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This year’s annual conference will take place 50 days in to the new Government, halfway through their first crucial ‘first 100 days’ of office and in the lead up to one of the most important Spending Reviews of recent years. The conference will also be an excellent opportunity to take stock and see how far the calls for greater local powers and devolution has come since Scotland’s historic vote in 2014. The conference will provide delegates with a timely opportunity to challenge and debate the first few weeks of the new Government and its proposed direction as set out in the manifestos. For information about the conference and exhibition or sponsorship opportunities go to the dedicated conference website http://tinyurl.com/LGAannualconference
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