Agenda item

The Chair introduced the report which provided an overview of the items relevant to the Safer and Stronger Communities Board’s portfolio within the Queen’s Speech.

Ellie Greenwood, Senior Adviser highlighted the following key points from the report:

·       Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill – The Local Government Association (LGA) had secured improvements to the existing, temporary pavement licensing regime, introduced during COVID. The temporary regime would be extended for a further year while the permanent system under the Levelling Up Bill was introduced. The Bill also includes proposals that pre-empt the outcome of a consultation on new controls on changing street names.

·       Transport Bill – although not referenced in the Queen’s Speech itself, Minister Baroness Vere had made a commitment in Parliament that the Bill would include limited number of taxi provisions to introduced national enforcement powers and national standards. 

·       Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill – This Bill may have implications for trading standards and the LGA would look to keep in touch with trading standards organisations.

·       Protect duty – this Bill is intended to strengthen preparedness against terror attacks but we are still waiting on details on what the requirements will look like.

·       Modern slavery bill –this will put into statute the requirement for public authorities to comply with rules on transparency in supply chains, which many councils already do on voluntary basis, and enshrine victim support under international conventions in domestic legislation.

·       Draft victims bill –the Bill will enshrine the victims code in law and is expected to introduce a new duty for councils to collaborate in commissioning support for victims.

·       Public order bill – the Bill will ensure the police have the tools they need to better manage and tackle dangerous and highly disruptive tactics.

Following the discussion, members made the following comments:

·       Members welcomed the extension of modern slavery supply chain requirements to public authorities.

·       Members raised that having referendums on street naming was not the right approach and that the approach to this should stay as it was. The Chair agreed and felt that it was an unnecessary burden on councils.

·       Further clarity around taxi licencing was needed and whether the measures in the Transport Bill  would only apply to councils which already have taxi licensing responsibilities, or whether this would extend toto include combined authorities, as per the discussion at the previous Board meeting.  Ellie replied that the Transport Bill measures would apply to the existing regime, but that Government is expecting in future to consult on changing the tier that taxi licencing is managed at.

·       Members noted that we are reliant on regulatory services and licensing for much of the work being discussed and that we needed to monitor additional funding to support these services.

·       In the context of the Victims Bill, members raised concerns  there is a piecemeal approach to child on parent abuse Parents who were subjected to their children being abusive were not seen as victims, and this was something that it would be good to look at, in terms of what support there is and how it is being addressed. The Chair noted the cross over into areas of responsibility for other Boards but added that she felt it right that the board pick up on this and asked officers to include this as part of board priorities.

·       Clarity was needed on the new provisions set out within the Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, as there was a risk of making it confusing for consumers in terms of where issues are currently dealt with by trading standards in primary authorities. Ellie responded that officers would need to come back to members on this.

·       Members commented that more was needed to be done to encourage younger people into the Trading Standards profession; in one council the average age of officers was 56 years of age.  This was important with cyber crime increasing.

·       Members welcomed the increased fee for pavement licensing and additional enforcement powers.

Decision:

Members of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board noted the report.

Actions:

·       Officers to include child on parent abuse as part of board priorities.

·       Officers to circulate a note to members on the implications of the Digital Markets Bill for Trading Standards.