Authority Update

Legal intelligence for professionals in local government.

This update contains brief details of recent Government publications, legislation, cases and other developments relevant to those involved in local government work, which have been published in the previous two weeks. Items are set out by subject, with a link to where the full document can be found on the internet.

If you have been forwarded this update by a colleague and would like to receive it direct please email Claire Booth.

All links are correct at the date of publication. The following topics are covered in this update:

Access to Information	Judicial Review
Adult Social Services	Libel
Children's Services	Licensing
Democracy	Overview and Scrutiny
Delivery of Services	Rating
Economic Development	Standards
Education	Traffic and Transport
Environmental Protection	Wales
Finance
Bevan Brittan's Local Government Training Programme

 

Access to Information

ICO: Freedom of Information Act - Environmental Information Regulations: Property searches: this guidance provides advice to local authorities on how they should respond to requests made for local property search information, what the relationship is between the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and the Local Authorities (England) (Charges for Property Searches) Regulations 2008, and in particular whether the information provided in response constitutes environmental information as defined in the EIR. It outlines the ICO’s view that the majority of property search data is environmental information and that local authorities are required to allow inspection of this data at no charge. (16 July 2009)
The guidance potentially has significant financial implications for local authorities who deal with property search enquiries. We have issued an Authority Alert on the implications of the guidance and drawing authorities’ attention to the LGA’s advice on this issue. 

MoJ: Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Designation of additional public authorities: Response to consultation: this consultation, launched on October 2007, sought views as to whether the Government should look to use the powers under s.5 FOIA 2000 and extend the coverage of the Act and if so, which organisations it should consider. The Goverment has now published its response: it proposes an initial, focused s.5 Order to be accompanied by action outside the Act to promote proactive publication and openness. It also makes clear the Government's intention to consider whether s.5 or primary legislation are options to include Network Rail and utility companies within the FOIA regime. The current list of persons proposed in this first Order are: Academy schools, Association of Chief Police Officers, Financial Ombudsman Service, and UCAS. These bodies will be consulted directly, and the Government aims to bring forward a s.5 Order early in the 2009/2010 parliamentary session. (16 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Caraline Johnson.

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Adult Social Services

DWP: Building a society for all ages: seeks views on the Government's Ageing Strategy, which sets out a vision for a society where people should no longer be defined by their age but where their skills and experiences are harnessed for the benefit of Britain as a whole. The strategy draws together action to help individuals, families, businesses, public services and communities respond to demographic change. The proposals include:

• the Default Retirement Age combined with the “duty to consider” procedure that aims to create a change in culture that sees far less reliance on old style cut offs for retirement in line with the Government's ambition to move over time to a position where there is no compulsory retirement unless individual employers can justify it; 
• there will be a Families and Relationships Green Paper in the Autumn to look at how better to support family members, including digital inclusion projects that are targeted at giving people in sheltered housing access to new technology. A summit in the Autumn will explore the changing role of grandparents more widely and what more can be done to support them in maintaining strong relationships with their grandchildren after parental separation and divorce;
• a new health prevention package later this year will raise the focus on preventative services for conditions that often affect people in later life, including foot care, falls prevention, continence care, depression and arthritis; and
• working with local areas, the development of a Good Place to Grow Old Programme, with a National Agreement to promote the importance of ageing issues at a local level, and an innovative service delivery fund to test new approaches to delivering services for older people.

The consultation closes on 12 October 2009.
There is also an Implementation Plan that sets out how and when the different measures in the Government's ageing strategy will be delivered and who needs to be involved to ensure these commitments are met. (13 July 2009)

Cabinet Office: Working together for older people in rural areas: published alongside the Government's strategy on ageing (see above), this report examines evidence on the social exclusion experienced by older people in rural areas and identifies examples of innovative service delivery that can make a real difference in these areas. As a result of this study, a number of key practical policy actions have been integrated into the Government's Ageing Strategy (see above). (13 July 2009)

DH: Shaping the future of care together: this Green Paper sets out a vision for a new care and support system. It highlights the challenges faced by the current system and the need for radical reform to develop a care system that is fair, simple and affordable for everyone. It puts forward three options for funding such a National Care Service:

• partnership: the responsibility for paying for care would be shared between the Government and the person who has care needs;
• insurance: as well as receiving between a third and a quarter of the cost of care, it would be easier for people to take out insurance to cover care costs. It is estimated that the cost of insurance could be around £20,000 to £25,000; or  
• comprehensive: everyone who can afford it would pay into a state insurance scheme meaning everyone who needs care will receive it free. It is estimated that the cost of being in the system could be between £17,000 and £20,000.

Comments are required by 13 November 2009. (14 July 2009)

DH: Consultation on the revision of the Fair Access to Care Services guidance to support councils to determine eligibility for social care services: seeks views on draft revised Fair Access to Care Services statutory guidance on determining individual eligibility for social care. The draft revised guidance aims to reset the eligibility criteria framework within the policy context of personalisation and prevention set out in the cross-sector agreement for the transformation of adult social care Putting People First. It also aims to support councils to implement eligibility criteria in a way that is as fair, consistent and transparent as possible, taking into account the needs of the wider community as well as individual need for support. Comments are required by 6 October 2009. (14 July 2009)

DH: Fairer contributions guidance - calculating an individual's contribution to their personal budget: this guidance supplements the current fairer charging guidance. It provides councils with a model for calculating a person's contribution to their personal budget. Authorities providing personal budgets should implement this Section 7 guidance by March 2010. For the background to the changes, see the DH's response to the consultation on the Fairer Contributions Guidance. (14 July 2009)

DH: End of life care strategy - first annual report: sets out the progress made in the year since the publication of the DH's end of life care strategy. (14 July 2009)

DH: Safeguarding adults - report on the consultation on the review of No Secrets: summarises the responses to the October 2008 consultation on the No Secrets guidance that sets out the responsibility of local authorities to investigate and take action when a vulnerable adult is believed to be suffering abuse. The report analyses the responses and the Government response will be published when this has all been considered. (17 July 2009)

Care Standards and Adoption (Regulation of Establishments, Agencies and Adult Placement Schemes) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1895):  these regulations, which come into force on 12 October 2009, make consequential amendments to existing sets of regulations under the Care Standards Act 2000 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002 in order to reflect the transition from current schemes for barring persons from working with children, to lists of persons barred from working with children under the new Vetting and Barring Scheme. Specifically, these regulations update requirements in the sets of regulations being amended to make vetting checks on a person being considered for a post working with children or vulnerable adults. (16 July 2009)

R (F) v Wirral BC [2009] EWHC 1626 (Admin) (Admin Ct): F and others applied for judicial review of the local authority's assessment of their social services and care needs. F wrote to the local authority alleging that it was in breach of its duty under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 s.47 in that it had failed to comply with its legal duty by carrying out an assessment of each of their needs, and asked that the matter be referred immediately to the second, investigation stage of the statutory complaints procedure under the Local Authority Social Services Complaints (England) Regulations 2006. The local authority replied that it considered that the first, local resolution stage of the complaints procedure was more appropriate and that, contrary to F's, in the cases of all but one of them, assessments had been completed or reviewed or that current social work was being carried out. F then issued his judicial review claim, without any further request for engagement of the complaints procedure.
The court held, refusing F's application, that while the Administrative Court was astute to correct any illegality of approach on a public authority's part, it was not the proper forum in which to probe into the adequacy of community care assessments. The JR process was initiated by an entirely unjustified global complaint that no assessments had been carried out at all. If F had a true claim that his eligible needs were not being met by the local authority, there was a full and adequate complaints procedure in which that could be resolved. The remedy of judicial review would not be granted where there was an alternative remedy. If any of the assessments or care plans were truly inadequate in any of F's cases and such inadequacy was giving rise to a true failure on the part of the local authority to meet an eligible need, then the relevant claimant had a proper remedy through the statutory complaints procedure. (9 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Caraline Johnson.

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Children's Services

DCSF: Every local authority to receive financial boost for out of hours services: announces £167m funding in 2010/2011 for extended services in schools that provide children and young people with things to do before and after the school day, enabling parents to stay at work for longer, safe in their knowledge their child is being looked after and entertained. The money is part of the Extended Schools Subsidy which is designed to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds can benefit from additional activities in the holidays, extra out-of-hours tuition and after-school clubs. The final total for the Extended Services Subsidy from 2008-2011 is £215m. (17 July 2009)

Foreign & Commonwealth Office / Home Office: Multi-agency practice guidelines - handling cases of forced marriage: the Forced Marriage Unit has published a revised set of multi-agency practice guidelines for frontline professionals (such as teachers, police officers, social and health care professionals, housing officers) to help them to work more closely together and to better identify and protect children and adults at risk of forced marriage. It should be read alongside the statutory guidance The Right to Choose issued under s.63Q(1) of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007, which sets out the responsibilities of Chief Executives, directors and senior managers within agencies involved with handling cases of forced marriage. (20 July 2009)

DCSF: Integrated Children's System (ICS) improvement - capital grant funding for 2009-10 (LAC 3006090002): sets out local authority allocations for the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) Improvement Capital Grant 2009-10 for capital funding for ICT systems in children's social care, and the associated conditions of grant. (23 July 2009) 

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Caraline Johnson.

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Democracy

DCLG: Strengthening local democracy - consultation: seeks views on whether local government has the powers it needs to meet today's challenges, as part of the Government's drive to renew Britain's democracy and build trust in the political system at all levels. It sets out a range of proposals to promote democratic renewal and strengthen the power and responsibility of local government, including:

• strengthening councils' ability to lead and coordinate the delivery of services in their area, and giving them more scope to scrutinise the spending and decisions of local service providers;
• exploring whether there are barriers to using existing powers and whether there are other powers which councils should have;
• ensuring councils have the powers and responsibilities they need to tackle climate change;
• exploring how the powers and responsibilities of sub-regional structures should be matched by clear and accountable leadership; and
• exploring how to articulate, develop and support the relationship between central and local government so that respective functions are clear and transparent to citizens.

Comments are required by 2 October 2009. (21 July 2009)
The LGA has issued an On the Day briefing commenting on the proposals.

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Peter Keith-Lucas. 

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Delivery of Services

Cabinet Office Strategy Unit: Power in people's hands - Learning from the world's best public services: presents the findings of a Strategy Unit study of leading edge innovations in world-wide public services, which involved interviewing 50 academics, public servants and other experts from around the world. It emphasises that innovation and productivity come from forging stronger relationships with citizens and identifies the five characteristics that distinguish the most successful services. The report shows how giving people more control over the services they use and freeing frontline public servants to innovate can deliver better services and greater value for money. (16 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Bethan Evans.

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Economic Development

DCLG: Consultation on reforming the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme - Government response: sets out the Government's response to the August 2008 consultation on reforming LABGI, with decisions on the form of the scheme, and also the provisional list of sub-regions and provisional allocations of LABGI grant in 2009-10. It also contains a summary of responses, a map of LABGI sub-regions and a spreadsheet with details of the calculation of the allocation. (21 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Bethan Evans.

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Education

DCSF: Ministers set out next steps in Building Schools for the Future and announce £200m to build new primary reception classes: announces that six local authorities (Barnet, Bolton, Hampshire, Peterborough, Sunderland and Wigan) have been given the green light for their BSF programmes.  The authorities are the first in a series of ‘rolling starts’ for the remaining 70 local authority projects yet to join BSF and follow-up projects in existing BSF authorities. The Schools Secretary has also announced that another six local authority projects will join the programme in three months' time and another six in the last quarter of the 2009-10. This means that the local authorities not yet in BSF can fast-track initial smaller projects far earlier than originally planned.  (15 July 2009)

DCSF: Delivering the 2013 diploma entitlement - guidance to local authorities and providers: from 2013, 14 to 19 year olds will have a statutory entitlement to study diplomas, underpinned by statutory duties on local authorities and schools. This document gives guidance to local authorities on the entitlement. (16 July 2009)

DCSF: Progression guidance 2009-10: this guidance aims to raise expectations and sets out the evidence of the progress already being made by learners with special educational needs, learning difficulties and disabilities (SEN / LDD), focusing on their attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. The guidance has been developed as part of the commitment in the Children's Plan 2007 to provide better data for schools on the progress being made by learners with SEN / LDD. (17 July 2009)

DCSF: Delivering sustainable communities through sustainable schools - Guidance for local authority officers: this guidance document provides details of how sustainable schools can contribute to local targets and be supported through existing service delivery across all local authority departments. Alongside the S3+ sustainable schools self-evaluation tool for local authorities who support sustainable schools, this document can be used by any local authority officer to identify support routes and improve the support their authority provides to its schools in becoming sustainable by 2020. (21 July 2009)

Ofsted: The framework for school inspection: sets out Ofsted’s new arrangements for inspecting maintained schools from the beginning of September 2009. (23 July 2009)

Education (Miscellaneous Amendments relating to Safeguarding Children) (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1924): these regulations, which come into force on 12 October 2009, made under four Education Acts, make consequential amendments to existing sets of regulations under those Acts in order to reflect the transition from current schemes for barring persons from working with children, to lists of persons barred from working with children under the new Vetting and Barring Scheme. (20 July 2009)

R (Buckinghamshire CC) v School Admissions Independent Appeal Panel for Buckinghamshire; Spinfield School (Interested Party) [2009] EWHC 1679 (Admin) (Admin Ct): the court has held that, when considering appeals by parents against the local authority's refusal to admit their children to a school on the basis the school was over-subscribed, the School Admissions Independent Appeal Panel had misdirected itself by applying the School Admissions Code 2007 rather than the School Admissions Code 2009. Whilst there were detailed provisions in both codes about equitable treatment of social groups and the prohibition of disadvantage of children in certain socio-economic groups, it could not be said that the reliance on the 2007 Code was immaterial. The 2009 Code clearly stated that it was to apply to all decisions taken after 10 February, 2009 without exception. The appeals would be remitted for reconsideration. (10 July 2009)
The judgment is available on Lawtel (password required).

R (W (a child by his mother and litigation friend J)) v Kent CC [2009] EWHC 1790 (Admin) (Admin Ct): W applied for judicial review of the  local authority's refusal to amend a statement of special educational needs so as to replace the name of the recommended school with the name of the school desired by his parents, where W was being educated. He also challenged the authority's decision not to fund his school fees. The court held, refusing his application, that W's parents had an alternative remedy of statutory reassessment under s.328 of the Education Act 1996, especially where they envisaged difficulties in funding W's school fees themselves. The existence of the statutory reassessment meant that it was not open to them to challenge the local authority's decision not to amend the statement by way of judicial review. The authority continued to regard W's current school as an inappropriate choice of school for W, and its subsequent failure to issue enforcement proceedings did not indicate its acceptance that that school was a suitable placement. (17 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Caraline Johnson.

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Environmental Protection

LGA: From Kyoto to Kettering, Copenhagen to Croydon - local government’s manifesto for building low-carbon communities: this manifesto sets out the framework and specific policies needed to enable local government to develop low carbon communities. The LGA argues that if central government gives local government the adequate framework and resources to deliver, councils can take on the responsibility for reducing emissions and adapting to climate change at the local level. (15 July 2009)

LGA: Cutting through the green tape III: The economy or the environment – do I need to choose?: this leaflet has been sent to all councillors in England and Wales, to encourage the view that local authorities are key players in the effort to reduce carbon emissions, and encourage councillors of the importance of the climate change agenda. (17 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Chris Jarman.

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Finance

DCLG: Reform of council housing finance - consultation: seeks views on the Government's preferred option for the future of council housing finance, following the Government's Review of Council Housing Finance and Rents policy that was launched in March 2008. It proposes to replace the current housing finance system with a clearer, more transparent system that puts councils firmly in control and better able to respond to the needs of local tenants and residents. This devolved self-financing alternative will remove the need to redistribute revenue nationally while continuing to ensure that all councils have sufficient resources. Councils will finance their own business from their own rents and revenues, in exchange for a one-off allocation of housing debt. Under the proposals, councils will be freed from the national Housing Revenue Account subsidy system and also from central government intervention: they will be able to generate sufficient income to sustain their stock, and will have to produce 30 year business plans. The consultation also proposes continuation of the Decent Homes Standard. Comments are required by 27 October 2009. (21 July 2009)
A number of associated documents have also been published - these are available on the consultation paper's web page. They include an analysis of Options for dealing with housing loan debt in the local authority sector.

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Penny Rinta-Suksi. 

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Judicial Review

R (Harris) v Haringey LBC (Unreported) (Admin Ct): H applied for judicial review of the local planning authority's grant of planning permission for redevelopment of an indoor market site. H submitted that the planning decision was vitiated by the appearance of bias on the part of the chair (P) of the planning committee, as P had on previous occasions expressed firm views and made comments to the effect that she was in favour of demolition and redevelopment, and therefore she had a closed mind at the time of the planning committee decision. H argued that P's views had crossed the boundaries of legitimate predisposition and were an indication of unlawful predetermination.
The court held, refusing H's application, that P's comments had been made more than five years before the planning application was determined and were consistent with the planning policies and the development brief. She was entitled to her own view as long as she remained receptive to alternative arguments. P's views were an indication of legitimate predisposition and not unlawful predetermination, and a fair-minded observer would not think that there was a real possibility that P was biased. (14 July 2009) 

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Peter Keith-Lucas. 

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Libel

Clift v Slough BC and Kelleher [2009] EWHC 12550 (QB) (QBD): C witnessed antisocial behaviour in a local park so she phoned the local authority's antisocial behaviour co-ordinator. The telephone conversation went very badly and C slammed the phone down. C then complained to the local authority, who appointed K, its head of public protection, to investigate the complaint. After holding interviews, K rejected C's complaints and informed her that a letter from her, their meeting, and something C had said to another local authority officer amounted to violent and threatening behaviour, and that her name was to be placed on the Violent Persons Register for 18 months, which was shared with other local authority departments and government agencies within the borough by electronic means. C brought proceedings for libel on those publications. The local authority's defence included justification and qualified privilege.
The court held that, for there to be a defence of qualified privilege, the local authority had to demonstrate that it had complied with its public law duties under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 1998.  The court had to determine whether the circulation of the information in the email and the placing of C's name on the register was necessary and proportionate for the protection of the rights of the local authority's employees and partner organisations. In the circumstances, the local authority had a qualified privilege defence in relation to publication only to employees of the local authority who were "customer facing staff" in the departments of trading standards, neighbourhood enforcement and community safety. Publication to other departments or partner organisations was not proportionate or fair and so was not covered by the defence of qualified privilege. The question was left to the jury whether the local authority had satisfied them that it was more likely or not that the email or register was substantially true. The jury rejected the defence of justification. However, when asked whether it was more likely than not that K had been malicious when he sent the email, the jury again answered "no". C's reputation was thereby vindicated and K also left court without a stain on his reputation. The jury awarded C damages of £12,000. (6 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Peter Keith-Lucas. 

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Licensing

Legislative Reform (Supervision of Alcohol Sales in Church and Village Halls &c.) Order 2009 (SI 2009/1724): this Order, which comes into force on 29 July 2009, amends the Licensing Act 2003 so as to allow licensing authorities in some circumstances to include an alternative licence condition relating to the supervision of alcohol sales in premises licences relating to community premises (defined as any church or chapel hall (or other similar building), or any village, parish or community hall (or other similar building)). The amendments allow a committee or board of individuals with responsibility for the management of community premises (“the management committee”) to apply to have an alternative licence condition included in a premises licence, in place of the normal mandatory conditions, that every supply of alcohol under the licence be made or authorised by the management committee. (30 June 2009)
See also DCMS: Supplementary guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 (Minor variations and removing the requirement for a DPS) that gives guidance on the new simplified process for minor variations to premises licences and club premises certificates and the removal of the requirement for a designated premises supervisor and personal licence at community premises. (16 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Adam Kendall.

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Overview and Scrutiny

Local Authorities (Overview and Scrutiny Committees) (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1919): these regulations, which come into force on 12 August 2009, implement arrangements for the overview and scrutiny of Local Area Agreements (LAAs) as introduced by amendments made by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 to Part 2 LGA 2000. They provide for the overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) of district councils in two-tier areas to make reports and recommendations to the county council, or that council’s executive, and allows them to require LAA partners to have regard to their reports or recommendations. They also give OSCs power to obtain information from partner and associate authorities and provide for the exclusion of confidential and exempt information when the reports of OSCs, or responses to them, are published by the executive of an authority. (20 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Peter Keith-Lucas. 

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Rating

DCLG: Business rates deferral scheme - Administrative guidance: the Non-Domestic Rating (Deferred Payments) (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1597), which come into force on 31 July 2009, enable businesses to defer payment of 60% of the RPI inflation up-rating to their business rates in 2009-10 over three years to 2011-12. This guidance provides details on the processing of applications, eligibility, the calculation of the deferrable amount, billing and enforcement. (24 July 2009)
There is also a business rates information letter 11/2009 setting out details of the deferral scheme.

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Bethan Evans.

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Standards

Parliamentary Standards Act 2009: this Act received Royal Assent on 21 July 2009 and comes into force on a day or days to be appointed. It:

• creates a new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to decide and administer the allowances system for MPs, administer MPs' salaries, draw up a code of conduct on financial interests and set the rules for investigations;
• establishes an independent Commissioner for Parliamentary Investigations with the power to investigate complaints against MPs in relation to the allowances scheme or the registration of financial interests, and report his or her findings to the House of Commons Committee for Standards and Privileges; and
• creates a new criminal offence of knowingly providing false or misleading information in a claim for an allowance, for which the maximum sanction is up to 12 months' custodial sentence or an unlimited fine.

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Peter Keith-Lucas. 

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Traffic and Transport

DfT: Quality contracts schemes - Consultation on draft regulations and guidance: seeks views on a package of draft regulations and guidance under the Local Transport Act 2008 that relate to quality contracts schemes, which cover local bus services. Comments are required by 7 October 2009. (14 July 2009)

DfT: Guidance on local transport plans: final guidance to support local transport authorities in developing and delivering their statutory local transport plans that are due to be in place by April 2011. (16 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Bethan Evans.

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Wales

Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009: this Measure received Royal approval on 10 June 2009. Most of the sections come into force on a day or days to be appointed. It redefines the basic duty on local authorities, national park authorities and fire and rescue authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement and account for it. It also requires local partners to be involved and cooperate in the delivery of community planning outcomes and to engage with citizens. In particular, it:

• creates a general power for local authorities, national park authorities and fire and rescue authorities to collaborate with each other to secure improvement, and includes a power for Welsh Ministers to direct such collaboration;
• provides more scope for an authority to use its performance data to account to its citizens and communities about the levels of service it is providing;
• secures greater collaboration between local government auditors, regulators and inspectors so as to maximise value and minimise the burdens that often result from this activity;
• expands and clarifies Welsh Ministers’ powers to support improvement and to intervene where necessary, including power to prescribe performance indicators; and
• creates a common duty on local service providers to prepare and deliver a community strategy that includes an action plan.

The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 (Commencement No 1) Order 2009 (SI 2009/1796 (W.163) (C.88)) brings a number of the Measure's provisions into force on 17 July 2009. 

Draft National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Local Government) Order 2009: this proposed LCO would extend the National Assembly's field of legislative competence in respect of local government to include community councils (which includes their constitution, structure, procedures, capability and service delivery), community reviews, the relations between tiers of local government, councillor allowances and the recruitment and retention of councillors. The Legislation Committee is consulting on the proposed LCO. Comments are required by 18 September 2009. (22 July 2009)

If you wish to discuss any of the items noted in this section please contact Bethan Evans.

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Bevan Brittan's Local Government Training Programme

Bevan Brittan has developed a well-recognised programme of training designed to assist local authorities in successfully implementing legal change. Led by key members of our local authority team, each session will clearly explain the key aspects of the law and the implications for local government. Using case studies and carefully selected complementary speakers, they will assist attendees in realising the full benefits of implementation and the dangerous pitfalls in failure to act.

Forthcoming seminars in 2009:

• 15 September (London), 16 September (Bristol), 17 September (Birmingham): Employment update
• 23 September (London): Misconduct and the Code (organised by Local Government Group)
• 29 September (London): Housing update - the new landscape 
• 9 October (London): Dealing with Members (organised by Local Government Group)
• 10 November (London): Climate change and local government
• 1 December (Bristol), 3 December (Birmingham), 8 December (London): Employment law workshop 
  

 If you wish to attend any of these sessions, or if you would like a hard copy of our Local Government Training Programme 2009 desk calendar, please contact our Events team.