Policy and Intelligence Newsletter - 3 November, 2020

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

Covid-19

• As of 1 November, a total of 2,385 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. Over the last seven days, 309 people in the Duchy have tested positive, at a rate of 54 per 100,000 population: this contrasts with 228 positive tests per 100,000 people across the whole of England. A total of 145 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have sadly died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19, with no 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 Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced that England is to enter a new national lockdown from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December. This will replace the current local tiered restrictions, assuming that a House of Commons vote to approve the measures passes on Wednesday. Under the lockdown, people will be instructed not to leave their homes unless it is: for work which they cannot do at home; for childcare or education; for medical reasons; to exercise outside or visit outdoor public areas; to shop for necessities; to fulfil caring responsibilities or to meet people within an exclusive support bubble. One person from a different household (excluding support bubbles) can be met outside, but not in private gardens.

• Under the new restrictions, all non-essential retail businesses are to close, although click and collect orders will be permitted. Entertainment venues and personal services businesses are also to close, as well as all leisure facilities. Weddings and civil partnerships will not be allowed apart from in exceptional circumstances, although funerals can continue with a maximum of 30 mourners. The furlough scheme, which had been due to finish at the end of October, will be extended until 2 December.

• The most recent Government Statistics on NHS Test and Trace (15 - 21 October) show that positive Covid-19 test results continue to rise sharply, with an increase of 23% compared with the previous week. Turnaround times for in-person swab tests under Pillar 2 (for the general population) have improved in comparison to the previous week, but are longer than they were at the end of June. 47% 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 week.

• A new large-scale study conducted by Imperial College London shows that antibody responses to Covid-19 decline sharply over the weeks or months following infection. 6% of the English population had antibodies to the virus at the end of June, but only 4.4% had antibodies at the end of September. Infected people who did not show symptoms are likely to lose antibodies more rapidly than those who were symptomatic. The health minister, Lord Bushell, said that “testing positive for antibodies does not mean you are immune to Covid-19”.

Brexit

• After seven days of talks in London, the intensified EU-UK negotiations have now moved to Brussels. Fisheries access and competition rules for businesses remain the most difficult issues to resolve. Any deal will need to begin the formal ratification process by mid-November, meaning there is little time for agreement: although the EU has claimed that positive progress is being made. 

• The hauliers’ association, Logistics UK, has warned that failing to reach a trade deal with the EU could lead to a 30% rise in import charges for everyday goods, making household shopping more expensive. The association is also concerned that limits on lorry access permits for UK entry will harm businesses throughout the country, with a fourfold shortfall in available documentation.

Education

• In the week 16 - 22 October, 99.3% of state schools across the country were fully open, a slight drop from 99.7% the previous week, while attendance in all state schools has dropped slightly to 86.2%, from 89.2%. Government analysis states that this “fall in attendance is largely due to an increase in Covid-19 related absence”. The number of children attending early years settings has risen to 770,000, compared to 761,000 in the previous week. As a snapshot, on 22 October, 55% of state-funded secondary schools and 20% of state-funded primary schools reported that they had one or more pupils self-isolating due to contact with a potential Covid-19 case within the school, an increase on the previous week’s figures.

Environment

• The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership is holding its public annual conference online during November. It comes ahead of December’s Cornwall Sustainability Awards, featuring Chris Packham.

• Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Council have partnered up to launch a county-wide autumn seed search; asking local people to collect, grow and plant tree seeds in Cornwall.

• The Government has published a policy paper on the Nature Recovery Network, outlining how it will create the network by restoring and enhancing England’s wildlife-rich places. It comes as the Prime Minister promised to protect 30% of land by 2030, with an extra 400,000 hectares protected to support the recovery of nature.

Housing

• A coalition of charities, including Shelter and Friends of the Earth, have written an open letter expressing their concerns about a lack of affordable housing under proposals to deregulate planning in England. The letter, to Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, highlights that developers could build up to 50 homes without including any affordable housing.

• Analysis of Government data by CPRE: The Countryside Charity has found that rural homelessness has more than doubled since 2018, to nearly 20,000. Research commissioned by the Rural Services Network and other charities suggests that affordable housing can boost disadvantaged peripheral economies, with every 10 affordable homes supporting 26 jobs.

Consultations and Campaigns

• Our Safeguarding Children Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has just launched a month-long child exploitation campaign, called ‘CE the Signs’. The campaign aims to increase public understanding of child exploitation, raise awareness of the signs and indicators to watch out for and to educate people on the routes for reporting concerns. Everyone is asked to take a second look at any signs that they spot and ask themselves: could it be exploitation? To get involved, use the hashtag #CEtheSigns and see the CIOS Safeguarding website for campaign materials and further information.

• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency are asking for views on new draft guidance on the licensing of biosimilar products (newer versions of existing drugs, which work in the same way, but are often cheaper). Deadline 15/11/2020. 

• Written submissions on Tree Planting and Woodlands are sought by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The committee wants to understand whether Government targets are the right ones; if the correct types of trees will be planted in appropriate places and whether enough is being done to protect existing woodland. Deadline 19/11/2020.  

• The Department for Work and Pensions is calling for evidence on challenges to in-work progression in low pay sectors, as well as examples of good practice. Deadline 20/11/2020. 

• The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is seeking comments on the draft text of the Aarhus Convention National Implementation Report. The Aarhus Convention is a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) treaty which provides access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Deadline 27/11/2020.  

• A relaunch has been announced of a Department for Education consultation on changes to the regulation of independent educational institutions. Previous contributions do not need to be resubmitted. Deadline 27/11/2020.