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Policy and Intelligence Newsletter - 20 April, 2021

The articles below have been drawn together by the policy and analytical community within the Council. Information is correct at the time of writing, 10:00 am on 19 April.

Covid-19

  • As of 18 February, a total of 14,126 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 468 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19. (Statistics provided by Public Health England.) 
  • Further lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in England came into effect on 12 April, with the reopening of non-essential retail, personal care services such as hairdressers, outdoor hospitality and public buildings such as libraries. Commemorative events can now take place with up to 15 guests.
  • The committee which advises the Government on vaccinations has said that pregnant women should be offered Covid-19 jabs at the same time as the rest of the population, based on their age and clinical risk group.
  • A TUC study has found that factory workers have the highest Covid-19 mortality rate by role, adjusted for age, at 34 per 100,000. People in insecure work, such as zero-hours contracts, are twice as likely to die from Covid-19.
  • Employers of seasonal agricultural workers in the edible horticulture sector can register for free Covid-19 workplace testing for their employees.

Economy

  • The Department for Work and Pensions has released a report on the number and percentage of low-income households, based on disposable income. In 2019-20, after housing costs, 1.1 million people in the South West (19% of the population) were estimated to be living in households with less than 60% of the UK median household income. This compares to 20% of individuals in England.
  • The Covid Winter Grant Scheme will be extended until 20 June, and renamed the Covid Local Support Grant. £40 million of additional funding will be provided to local authorities to give targeted support to disadvantaged families.

Education and children

  • Ofsted has announced that it will not return to a full programme of graded inspections until September, but will be carrying out visits in the summer term to provide assurance about how well students are catching up.
  • All university students who have not yet returned to in-person teaching will be able to do so in Step 3 of the Government’s roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions, no earlier than 17 May.
  • The Children’s Commissioner for England has launched The Big Ask, a listening exercise for children, which runs until 19 May. The Childhood Commission will use the survey results to inform its work on identifying and removing obstacles stopping children from reaching their full potential.

Equality and diversity

  • Research by the Office for National Statistics shows the pandemic has different impacts on men and women. Women are significantly more likely to show Covid-19 symptoms after 5 weeks; are more likely to report their well-being was negatively impacted by homeschooling; and for younger women, are likely to have higher vaccine hesitancy.
  • Disabled people indicate more often than non-disabled people that the pandemic has impacted their health (35% compared to 12%), access to healthcare for non-Covid-19 issues (40% compared to 19%), well-being (65% compared to 50%) and access to essential items (27% compared to 12%), according to the latest Office for National Statistics analysis. 
  • Young black workers have reportedly been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, with the unemployment rate for this group rising by 64% between the beginning and end of 2020, compared to 17% for young white workers.

Housing

  • As of January 2021, the average house price in Cornwall was £265,775 in comparison to the UK average of £249,309, according to the Land Registry House Price Index. House prices rose 1.4% compared to December 2020, despite falling 0.5% nationally in the same period.

Consultations 

  • A Parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry into jobs, growth and productivity after the pandemic, and is calling for evidence from all interested parties. Deadline: 17 May.
  • The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking views on whether Covid-19 vaccination should be a condition of deployment for people working in older adult care homes. Deadline: 21 May.
  • The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport wants to know about consumers’ experiences with broadband connectivity in rural and remote parts of the UK. Deadline: 11 June.
  • The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is seeking views on the arrangements that have allowed local authorities to hold remote and hybrid meetings during the pandemic. Deadline: 17 June.
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