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Policy and Intelligence Newsletter - 8 December, 2020

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

Covid-19

  • As of 6 December, a total of 3,850 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. Over the last seven days, 143 people in the Duchy have tested positive, at a rate of 25 per 100,000 population: this contrasts with 150 positive tests per 100,000 people across the whole of England. A total of 169 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have sadly died within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19. (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 if there is no positive test result.)

 

  • The most recent Government Statistics on NHS Test and Trace (19 - 25 November) show that positive cases of Covid-19 have declined sharply, with a decrease of 28% compared to the previous week. Turnaround times for in-person swab tests under Pillar 2 (for the general population) have continued to improve in comparison to the previous week, with 85% of in-person test results now received the following day. 27% of the close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 were not reached by NHS contact tracers over the period. Although this appears to be a substantial improvement on the previous week, NHS Test and Trace has changed how it counts the close contacts of people testing positive for Covid-19: people under 18 are no longer individually contact traced. Rather, the service tries to contact one parent or guardian in the household, regardless of the number of young people who may be affected.

 

  • The Government has published its “Analysis of the Health, Economic and Social Effects of Covid-19 and the Approach to Tiering”. The paper states that without national restrictions, deaths resulting from Covid-19 and due to increased demand on the NHS would have been much higher. The authors say that it would “not be meaningful” to “estimate the specific economic impacts of precise changes to individual restrictions”. Speaking about the analysis, the Chair of the Treasury Committee has said that “there is little here that sets out how the different tiers might impact on…specific sectors and regions” and has criticised the lack of additional economic analysis of the new tiered system.

 

  • The Government has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use, following a positive recommendation from the medicines regulator (MHRA). The vaccination programme will begin this week. 

 

  • New Government guidance on care home visits has been issued. “Working age” residents may visit friends or family outside the care home, in accordance with local tiered restrictions and subject to the agreement of the care home. A risk assessment must be carried out, and people living in care homes cannot form a bubble with other households. Over the “Christmas Bubble” period of 23 - 27 December, care home residents of working age can only visit one other household, where all members of that household have had a negative Covid-19 test. Care home residents over working age should, according to the guidance, only leave the care home under exceptional circumstances such as in end-of-life situations. 

 

  • Families and friends have been able to visit care homes indoors from 2 December if a negative Covid-19 test is received before the visit. A million tests and 46 million pieces of free personal protective equipment are to be sent out to care home providers during December to facilitate this. However, Greater Manchester County Council has instructed care homes not to use new lateral flow tests for Covid-19 for visitors, due to concerns about the level of resource and clarity of guidance required to safely use the tests.

 

  • University students have been asked to stagger their return to campus in 2021 over a five-week period, to reduce transmission of Covid-19. Medicine and courses which rely heavily on in-person teaching will be prioritised, while instruction in other subjects will continue online. All students are expected to have returned by 7 February, and will be offered Covid-19 tests when they arrive.


 Brexit

  • Direct trade talks between the EU and UK have restarted in Brussels, following a telephone conversation on Saturday between the Prime Minister and the president of the European Commission. The UK is due to leave the single market and customs union in three weeks.

 

  • The new points-based immigration system for people wishing to work in the UK opened on 1 December. Applicants for five-year skilled worker visas will be awarded points for their knowledge of English, as well as being in receipt of a job offer at the appropriate skill level, with a salary of at least £25,600. Other visas have also opened, such as the Start Up visa, for people intending to establish a business in the UK for the first time.

 

Economy

  • The Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, has announced that local authorities in England will be allowed to extend normal opening hours for shops in England over the Christmas period and into January.

 

Education

  • In the week to 26 November, 99.2% of state schools across the country were fully open, a slight rise from 99% in the previous week, while attendance in all state schools was at 83.5%, similar to the previous week. The number of children attending early years settings has risen to 826,000, compared to 806,000 during the previous week. As a snapshot, on 26 November, 68% of state-funded secondary schools and 26% 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: both figures are lower than the previous week. On 26 November, 23 - 25% of schools had more than 30 students self-isolating due to potential contact with a Covid-19 case within the school, compared to 25 - 27% in the previous week.

 

  • Ofsted’s Annual Report has been published, highlighting the substantial fall in the number of child protection referrals made to local authorities since the first national lockdown in March. While numbers rose after schools reopened to all pupils, they have not returned to levels seen before the pandemic, raising concerns that there are cases of child abuse or neglect which are not being detected. The report suggests that disruption to community health services may also have directly affected the ability of safeguarding partners to identify children most at risk.

 

  • Students taking GCSE, AS and A-level exams in 2021 in England will benefit from more generous marking, be given advance notice of some topics covered in exams, and be able to take in aids such as formula sheets. Students unable to sit their exams at the normal time due to Covid-19-related disruption will have alternative papers available in July. A new expert group will examine how the pandemic has varied in effect for students in different parts of the country.

 

Environment

  • New emissions targets have been announced by the Government, with a minimum of a 68% reduction in greenhouse gases (compared to 1990 levels) to be achieved by 2030. If successful, this would be the fastest rate of emissions reduction seen in any major economy.

 

Equality and diversity

  • International Human Rights Day is marked by the United Nations on 10 December, with 2020’s theme “Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights”. The UN is seeking to ensure that human rights are central to recovery efforts, stating that the Covid-19 crisis “has been fuelled by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination and other gaps in human rights protection. Only measures to close these gaps and advance human rights can ensure we fully recover and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable.” 

 

  • The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued a report into the effect that Covid-19 has had on equality and human rights. It highlights the unequal economic impact of the pandemic, with poverty most likely to rise for groups including young people, disabled people and ethnic minorities. Inequalities in remote education provision have disproportionately affected ethnic minorities, pupils needing special support, and students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Steps to limit the spread of Covid-19 have also hindered disabled people from effectively participating in the justice system.

 

Farming

  • The Government has set out its agricultural transition plan for 2021 - 24. Direct subsidy payments to farmers will be reduced and eventually stopped between 2021 - 27, but farmers will be paid to improve the environment, reduce carbon emissions, and provide better animal welfare. Grants will be paid to help farmers reduce their costs or retire, and money will also be available for new farmers.

 

Housing

  • Office for National Statistics analysis of the UK House Price Index shows that average UK house prices increased by 4.7% over 12 months to September 2020, compared with a rise of 3% over 12 months to August 2020. Average house prices are now at a record high of £245,000. The South West has seen a higher price increase than any other English region, with a rise of 6.4% over 12 months to September 2020, compared with a rise of 3.2% over 12 months to August 2020. However, house prices in the South West have still not exceeded the level they were at before the economic downturn of 2007.

 

Voluntary sector

  • The food charity FareShare will receive £16m in Government grant funding to distribute to at least 4,000 local food charities across England this winter, as part of the wider winter package to support vulnerable people. 

 

Consultations and campaigns

  • The Department for Transport is seeking views on a possible trial of higher maximum weight limits for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). HGVs carrying rail freight currently have a lower max. payload weight than HGVs carrying road freight. Deadline 04 January 2021.

 

  • Ofsted is asking for views on proposed changes to their statistical release on further education, as well as skills inspections and outcomes. Deadline 08 January 2021. 

 

  • The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on annual tolerance levels associated with smart meter installation targets for energy suppliers and the level of reporting thresholds for large energy suppliers. Deadline 11 January 2021.  

 

  • The Department for Education is asking for views on whether post-16 qualifications at level 3 should continue to be funded alongside A levels and T Levels. Deadline 15 January 2021. 

 

  • The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on proposals for changes to Supply Chain Plans and Contracts for Difference, to enable continued support for new low-carbon generation and to encourage the growth of sustainable supply chains. Deadline 18 January 2021. 

 

  • The Treasury is conducting a conducting a consultation on its Future Regulatory Framework (FRF) Review. This examines how the UK regulatory framework for financial services needs to adapt to our new position outside of the EU. The key aim is to achieve an agile and coherent approach to financial services regulation in the UK. Deadline 19 February 2021. 
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