Agenda item

Ellie Greenwood, LGA Senior Adviser, outlined the paper on the LGA’s response to the Casey review on integration and opportunity, noting that there were four key issues highlighted in relation to local government. Members were told that Cllr Blackburn had been tasked with working with the Group Leaders to develop an LGA response to the review and he had taken a draft of the response to the Group Leaders’ meeting in October. The draft had been circulated to members and they were advised that it would be discussed at the meeting of the LGA Executive on 7 December. The response centred the LGA’s calls to devolve powers around skills, growth, housing and education, as helping councils to tackle socio-economic exclusion would help to support local cohesion. Officers expected the response to be published once signed off by the Executive.

More broadly, members were told that the Government was working on an integration strategy which was due in the new year. The strategy would be similar to a green paper and would be subject to a consultation. The SSC Board would need to consider a draft response to the consultation and further guidance would be given on this following the publication of the draft strategy.

Members made the following points:

·         Members thanked officers for their work on this subject, noting that it had been a difficult topic to respond to.

·         It was suggested that it would be useful for the member champions for community cohesion and integration, Cllrs Jo Beavis and Janet Daby, to get together to discuss the matter.

·         The report suggests that local government was lacking in diversity but members noted that the LGA was already working on this particular issue so recognition of this should be noted.

Decision

Officers noted the LGA’s draft response to the Casey Review.

Action

Officers to proceed as directed once the response had been signed off by the LGA Executive.