Local authority round-up 2 January 2026
2nd January, 2026
Our Local Authority round up provides brief summaries of topical information on a weekly basis, to keep you aware of the changes and updates relevant to you.
Education
Major expansion of colleges to train the next generation of workers
Local colleges are set to receive £570 million to expand training facilities and places to train the next generation of skilled workers. The funding is set to enable more builders, coders and engineers of the future to access the skills needed for their careers.
Around £100 million of this funding will go to mayors and local leaders to boost capacity specifically in construction courses to address growing college waiting lists across the country and to help achieve the government’s goal to train 60,000 additional construction workers to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the Parliament.
Metro mayors and local leaders will be given the power to decide how they will use the rest of the funding to boost capacity in colleges ahead of an expected 67,000 extra 16 and 17-year-olds entering post-16 education by 2028. This allows communities to create training opportunities to rejuvenate local economies and provide British people with pathways to good jobs, driving national renewal and ensuring young people have the chance to succeed, no matter their background.
For more information, please click here.
Health & Social Care
Government extends free NHS services for care leavers
A new package of measures brought in by the government for young people leaving care will include benefitting from free prescriptions, dental, and eyecare services up to their 25th birthday, and enhanced job opportunities in the NHS.
Those who have been in care are at a higher risk of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, and have a higher chance of experiencing homelessness and unemployment. Supporting them with free prescriptions, dental, and eyecare services will improve their access to healthcare services.
A new pilot to trial paid internships for care leavers in the NHS and a guaranteed interview scheme for NHS roles is also set to be introduced. It is hoped this will also break down barriers of opportunity and help more young people leaving care into work.
For more information, please click here.
UK and Singapore launch a regulatory innovation corridor to speed up access to breakthrough health technologies
Patients in the UK and Singapore could gain faster access to cutting-edge healthcare innovations under a new partnership launching a new regulatory innovation corridor to fast-track the most promising healthcare innovations.
As part of this ground-breaking regulatory collaboration, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA), with Flagship Pioneering as its first partner, will provide companies with a coordinated pathway to engage with both regulators simultaneously. Under this new corridor, developers will be able to seek early, informal joint advice, helping them plan ahead and design better clinical trials, avoid duplication and cut delays.
The aim of this partnership is to speed up patient access to therapies in high-impact areas like cancer, neurodegenerative disease, obesity, rare diseases and advanced diagnostics without compromising on safety. The partnership will help with countries scan for emerging technologies and therapeutic modalities, learn from each other’s regulatory approaches and boost regulatory invention.
For more information, please click here.
Upcoming events
Subsidy control masterclass series
Subsidy control is one of the first considerations in public funded initiatives – but it can also be a significant cause of uncertainty and delay. This course will cut through those concerns by equipping attendees with the expertise to spot potential issues and to manage these within the law, noting recent case law and guidance. It will cover the basics, working up to a level of detail that will be useful to the most experienced practitioners.
This masterclass series is presented by Ward Hadaway Partner Alexander Rose – recognised as a national expert in this area of law – with the following dates remaining across our offices:
- Leeds: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 1pm – 3pm
- Manchester: Thursday 22 January 2026, 1pm – 3pm
- Birmingham: Wednesday 4 February 2026, 9.30am – 11.30am
Book your place at any of these sessions here.
Legal Services Forum: Hillsborough Law
On 16 September 2025, the Government laid before Parliament the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, commonly known as Hillsborough Law. The Bill introduces a duty of candour and assistance on public authorities and officials in relation to their involvement with public inquiries and inquests.
It ensures that families of victims in state-related deaths are able to access non-means-tested legal assistance and advocacy at inquests and inquiries where public authorities are interested persons. If enacted in full, the Bill is likely to have a significant impact on public inquiries and a large number of inquests.
We are pleased to invite Austin Welch, Counsel from Lincoln House Chambers to talk us through the main features of the Bill and its implications.
This webinar will take place on Thursday 29 January, 10:00–11:00am.
Register here to confirm your place and submit any questions for discussion in advance.
Please note that this briefing is designed to be informative, not advisory and represents our understanding of English law and practice as at the date indicated. We would always recommend that you should seek specific guidance on any particular legal issue.
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