Policy and Intelligence Newsletter - 10 November, 2020

The articles below have been drawn together by the policy and analytical community within the Council. 

Covid-19

• As of 8 November, a total of 2,720 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. Over the last seven days, 304 people in the Duchy have tested positive, at a rate of 53 per 100,000 population: this contrasts with 243 positive tests per 100,000 people across the whole of England. A total of 148 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have sadly died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19, with three fatalities in the last week. (Please note that fatality statistics are provided by Public Health England, and differ from those generated by the Office for National Statistics, which record all instances of Covid-19 being listed on the death certificate, even there is no positive test result.)

• The most recent Government Statistics on NHS Test and Trace (22 - 28 October) show that positive Covid-19 test results continue to rise, with an increase of 8% compared with the previous week. Turnaround times for in-person swab tests under Pillar 2 (for the general population) have again improved in comparison to the previous week, but are still longer than they were at the end of June. 62% of in-person test results are now received the following day. 40% of the close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 were not reached by NHS contact tracers, the same as the previous two weeks. 10 million people in the UK have now been tested at least once for Covid-19.

• The Office for National Statistics has published an overview of Covid-19 related data collated between March and October. By combining information on all aspects of the pandemic, the review provides a narrative of how society and the economy have been impacted. Themes covered include levels of infection, impact on mental health, mobility, and trade and retail sales.

• The UK’s first mass-testing initiative for Covid-19 started on Friday 6 November. Everyone living or working in Liverpool will be offered a test, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms of the virus. Some tests will give results within an hour, without needing laboratory processing. It is hoped that a successful pilot could see similar schemes rolled out to the rest of the country, although some media reporting has cited concerns about thousands of potentially false negative results.

• Family and close friends are to be allowed to visit residents of care homes in England during the second national lockdown, according to new Government guidance. Outdoor visits with one other person are permitted, as well as indoor meetings where Covid-secure facilities are provided, such as floor-to-ceiling screens.

Brexit

• Negotiations between the UK and EU on a post-Brexit trade deal are continuing, with in-person talks scheduled to resume in London this week. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP, said that although progress had been made, “significant differences” remain between the two sides, particularly on fisheries and state aid for businesses. The transition period will finish on December 31, 2020, with UK access to the single market and customs union due to end at this time.

• The Institute for Government has warned that devolved administrations, local authorities, and businesses could be overwhelmed by the end of the transition period and that the Government has not done enough to ensure they are prepared for what comes next, regardless of whether a deal is struck. 

Education

• £170 million of additional Government funding for free school meals over the Christmas holidays has been announced. This funding, distributed by local authorities, will also provide help with bills. A further  £220 million programme to cover healthy food and activities for children from low-income families will be extended during school holidays in 2021.

Environment

• The Environment Bill has resumed passage through Parliament after a pause due to Covid-19. The Bill aims to deliver the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, with legally binding targets for air quality, biodiversity and water efficiency, as well as creating a new Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). The OEP will be an independent body, holding Government and public-sector organisations to account on their environmental commitments. It will have enforcement powers to ensure net zero emissions are reached in the UK by 2050.

• Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership have published their Environmental Growth Monitoring and Evaluation Framework report. This measures the progress of the Environmental Growth Strategy, and assesses how Cornwall’s environment is faring over time.

• Last week saw the launch of the national Nature Recovery Network Delivery Partnership, with Cornwall Council the sole local authority representative at the launch event.

Housing

• Cornwall is one of ten places in England to receive extra Government funding to provide accommodation for those currently sleeping rough. In total, £15m will be made available to areas with a high number of rough sleepers. Criticism came from homelessness charities who argued the money would “run out quickly” and was “not nearly as extensive as what we saw in March, yet the threat from the virus remains the same”. 

Security

• The UK’s terrorism threat level has been raised from “substantial” to “severe”, following a series of Islamist terrorist attacks in France and Austria. The Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, said that people should be "alert but not alarmed…This is a precautionary measure…and is not based on a specific threat”.

Consultations and Campaigns

• The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is asking for evidence on ethnic disparities and inequality in the UK to help inform a new review. Deadline 30-Nov-20.

• As part of a Root and Branch review of the parole system, the Ministry of Justice is conducting a public consultation on making some parole hearings open to victims of crime and the wider public. Deadline 01-Dec-20. 

• The Treasury is seeking views on its proposals for continuing to meet past commitments to public servants regarding the full indexation of public service pensions. Deadline 30-Dec-20.

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is asking for views on plans to increase the use of remote electronic monitoring on English registered fishing vessels and vessels fishing in English waters. Deadline 30-Nov-20.