Policy and Intelligence Newsletter - 22 October, 2020

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

Covid-19

• As of 20 October, 1,892 people in Cornwall have tested positive for Covid-19, with 174 in the last seven days. This is a rate of 331 per 100,000 population and contrasts with a rate for the whole of England of 1,150 positive tests per 100,000 people. A total of 145 people in Cornwall have sadly died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19, with no fatalities in the last week.

• 17 regions are in Tier 2 (high) of the new three-tier alert system for England, according to the most recent Government information, updated 16 October. Two regions - Liverpool City and Lancashire - are in Tier 3 (very high), meaning that pubs, bars and indoor sports facilities are closed. Guidance has been issued for residents of those areas to avoid travelling outside the vicinity. Greater Manchester will move into Tier 3 from midnight on Thursday 22 October, following ten days of discussion between Government and local authorities, which did not end in agreement. Cornwall remains in Tier 1 (medium).

• Wales will implement a two-week “firebreak” lockdown from Friday 23 October. All non-essential businesses will close, including pubs, restaurants and hotels. Only the first two year-groups in secondary schools will return after half-term while the lockdown is in progress, although primary schools will have normal attendance requirements. Socialising with people outside one’s household - either indoors or outdoors - will also be prohibited.

• Police Services in England have been given access to the NHS Test and Trace data of people who have been instructed to self-isolate, as stated in the Department of Health and Social Care’s updated guidance on privacy information relating to testing for Covid-19. There have been media reports that the office of the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has expressed “significant reservations” at the move, warning that it may discourage people from seeking testing.

• Longstanding health inequalities in the UK are likely to have amplified the impact of Covid-19. The Global Burden of Disease study, published last week in the medical journal The Lancet, shows how the UK has the lowest healthy life expectancy in western Europe due to preventable diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. This, in turn, contributes to high Covid-19 mortality, according to The Lancet.

Brexit

• The Cabinet Office Minister, Michael Gove MP, has said in an Oral Statement to Parliament that “as things stand” a free trade agreement with the EU “will not now happen” before the end of the transition period on 31 December. The Minister cited the EU’s refusal to intensify discussions, hold talks on all the days available and “engage on all the outstanding issues” as reasons for negotiations breaking down. 

• The Government has launched a “time is running out” campaign to encourage businesses to prepare for a no-deal/Australia-style exit from EU transition arrangements.

• At the time of writing, the House of Lords is debating the UK Internal Market Bill, which seeks to ensure seamless trade between the nations of the UK and Northern Ireland. The debate will include a Motion to Regret some of the Bill’s contents.

Devolution

• The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee has launched an inquiry into “The Evolution Of Devolution: English Devolution”, holding its first public evidence session on 20 October. The Committee will hear evidence on the key challenges that the Government’s White Paper on devolution will need to address. A transcript of the evidence session is likely to be available by the end of the month.

Economy

• The Governor of the Bank of England has said that the UK faces “an unprecedented level of economic uncertainty” and that growth may be lower than expected. The credit rating agency, Moody’s, has recently downgraded Britain’s credit status due to the effects of Covid-19 on the economy and uncertainty around Brexit.

• The Work and Pensions Select Committee has recommended that new applicants for Universal Credit are provided with a grant to cover food and heating costs during the five-week period before benefits start being paid. Although advances on future payments are available, the Committee concluded that this left claimants with insufficient funds to meet basic needs.

• Rural broadband coverage across the UK now stands at 80%, in comparison to 97% of urban regions, according to analysis by the National Audit Office. The Superfast Programme has been rolled out most successfully in “easier-to-reach” areas, meaning that “left behind” properties are predominantly in rural and remote parts of the UK. The report also finds that some residents in rural areas with poor broadband connections have felt a sharper impact during the pandemic.

Equality and Diversity

• The Education Policy Institute has recently published research showing that the proportion of male Black and Minority Ethnic teachers in England is now 17%, broadly representative of the population as a whole.

Voluntary Sector

• The charity Carers UK has conducted a survey of nearly 6,000 unpaid family carers, with 74% of respondents saying they are exhausted due to their caring responsibilities throughout the pandemic. 64% of those who replied to the survey said that they had not been able to take any breaks since March, with 81% providing more care now than they were before the national lockdown.

Consultations

• The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government are calling for expressions of interest for a funded project which aims to improve mental health through green social prescribing – linking people to nature-based activities such as community gardening. Deadline 23/10/20. 

• The Department of Health and Social Care are seeking evidence to help inform a new review into improving the health and development outcomes of babies and young children in England. Deadline 23/10/2020. 

• The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy are requesting information from coastal landowners or developers with an interest in supporting the UK’s offshore wind manufacturing sector. A new offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme is offering potential support. Deadline 30/10/2020. 

• The Geospatial Commission has partnered with Innovate UK to create a £2 million transport data location competition to support the future of mobility for the UK. Deadline 04/11/2020. 

• The Education Select Committee is seeking written evidence to understand the extent to which current arrangements provide support for home educated children.  Deadline 06/11/2020.