Local Authority round-up: 09/02/24
9th February, 2024
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.
Commercial
The Government pledges to invest £45 million into the UK’s quantum sector
The Government pledges to invest £45 million into the quantum sector in order to seize this technology’s potential to overhaul healthcare, energy and transport.
The projects receiving funding include the development of a brain scanner, which aims to improve the diagnosis of disorders such as epilepsy and dementia, as well as a smart navigation system for trains, using quantum sensors to save costs and enhance safety in tunnels. It is hoped that these initiatives will revolutionise healthcare and transport.
The £15 million Quantum Catalyst Fund aims to fast-track the integration of quantum solutions in the public sector, allowing the Government to leverage the advantages of quantum technologies across different policy areas.
For more information please click here.
New Disability Action Plan announced to make the UK more accessible
The Government has launched its new Disability Action Plan, which includes 32 steps to support disabled people to live, work and thrive.
Specific actions outlined in the Plan include:
- A new fund to support disabled people who aspire to work in public office
- Building an online information hub for local authorities to create accessible playgrounds
- A new working group to educate businesses on the legal rights of assistance dog owners, as well as reduce bureaucracy when reporting refused entry
- Championing new research into emerging issues affecting disabled people in the UK over the next 20 years
The Plan supplements the increased funding for the education of children with learning difficulties, as well as the enactment of the British Sign Language (BSL) Act and the Down Syndrome Act.
For more information please click here.
Planning and Housing
The Government announces further measures to improve social housing
The Government has announced further plans to ensure social housing tenants receive a higher quality, and fairer, service from their housing provider. Housing providers will be expected to up skill their employees with the relevant experience and knowledge to deliver a more professional service to tenants.
This follows the announcement from the Ombudsman that a third of the Severe Maladministration findings related to poor complaint handling from landlords. The Government seeks to introduce a strict code of conduct for social landlords to overhaul the culture of disrespect felt by tenants.
This builds upon the powers introduced under The Social Housing (Regulation) Act which affords the Regulator of Social Housing greater authority to undertake more vigorous inspections of providers, with those failing to comply losing their funding under the Affordable Homes Programme.
This also follows the introduction of Awaab’s Law which sets strict time limits for landlords to remedy dangerous hazards, including damp and mould, identified by tenants. Awaab’s law requires emergency hazards to be repaired within 24 hours.
A new competence and conduct standard is the latest step in addressing systemic issues identified following the Grenfell Tower fire. The Government seeks to address not only the safety and quality of social housing but how tenants are treated by their landlords.
For more information please click here.
Upcoming Events
Webinar: The importance of right to work checks and avoiding a £60,000 penalty
In this webinar we will offer advise on how businesses can avoid receiving a civil penalty for employing an illegal worker. Our expert immigration lawyers, using practical examples and relying on experience of auditing right to work checks, will cover the following:
- Carrying out a compliant right to work check
- When to use the online checking service
- Using a third party Identity Service Provider
- When and how the increased illegal working penalty takes effect
- Common pitfalls and how to how to avoid these
- Practical pointers for ensuring compliance and avoiding a fine
The webinar will take place online on the 13th February 2024 from 10:00am – 11:00am. To register for the event, please click here.
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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