The Cornwall We Know

The articles below have been drawn together by the policy and analytical community within the Council. Information is correct at the time of writing, 0930 on 22 February. 

Covid-19

• As of 21 February, a total of 13,504 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 434 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.)
• The Government has set out its “roadmap” for removing lockdown restrictions. 
• Every UK adult will reportedly be offered a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of July.
• An extra 1.7 million people with multiple risk factors (including ethnicity) for Covid-19 have now been asked to shield.  

Economy

• Eligibility for the Seafood Response Fund will be expanded to include fishing businesses facing decreased demand from UK and international hospitality sectors, in addition to businesses experiencing disruption to EU exports.
• Unitary authority capital expenditure per person is 44% higher in urban areas than rural areas, new research commissioned by Britain’s Leading Edge and other organisations shows. 36% more affordable homes per 100,000 people are built in urban places compared to rural ones. 
• Resolution Foundation analysis shows that almost 2 million people aged 18-64 have not worked for at least 6 months, either due to full furlough or unemployment. 
• The number of destitute UK households rose from 197,400 to 421,500 last year, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has found. 2-adult households are destitute if they live on £100 or less per week after housing costs.
• The Chancellor will reportedly extend the furlough scheme until the summer, and prolong business rates relief for the retail, hospitality and leisure industries.

Education and children

• From September, the Government will ban vulnerable children under 16 from being housed in unregulated independent or semi-independent placements, intended to help older children develop autonomy before leaving care. Extra investment will be provided for local authorities to create more places in children’s homes. 
• 50% of parents who had personally home-schooled said it was negatively affecting their well-being in January 2021, compared to 28% in April 2020, according to the ONS.

 Elections

• Staff shortages and a lack of available venues could reportedly cause problems in May’s local elections, with some councils asking pandemic volunteers to help at poll stations. 

Equality and diversity

• A new Mental Health and Income Commission report has found that people with common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, earn on average 68% of the typical annual incomes of people without those conditions - a gap of £8,400 a year. 

Housing

• Resolution Foundation research shows 9% of social renters were behind with housing payments in January 2021, compared to 6% of private renters and 2% of people with a mortgage. 24% of private renters have seen a fall in income since the start of the pandemic, compared to 16% of working-age mortgage holders. 
• Museum of Homelessness research has found that deaths of homeless people rose by 37% in 2020 compared to 2019.

 Events and workshops

• Cornwall Area of Outstanding National Beauty is hosting a Growing Greener virtual conference on 25 February, giving updates on Environmental Land Management Scheme trials. A Growing Greener interactive workshop on 4 March will enable residents to contribute to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Both events are free to attend. 

Consultations and campaigns

• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on various aspects of the Clean Heat Grant scheme design. Deadline 05 March 2021.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is consulting on a proposed approach to cluster sequencing for carbon capture, usage and storage. Deadline 10 March 2021. 
• The Department for Education is seeking views on the Get Help Buying for Schools service delivery model for schools to buy goods and services. Deadline 11 March 2021. 
• The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is inviting feedback on new requirements for organisations wanting to provide or use digital identity products. Deadline 11 March 2021.
• The House of Lords Select Committee on Public Services is calling for evidence as part of its inquiry into The Role of Public Services in Addressing Child Vulnerability. The committee is keen to hear from anyone working directly with children and families, or those with experience of collaboration between public service organisations focused on children. Deadline 19 March 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, 10am on 15 February. 

Covid-19

• As of 14 February, a total of 13,290 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 405 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.) PHE reporting shows that, between 1 - 7 February, Covid-19 activity continued to decrease nationally, including reductions in overall case rates and positivity rates.  
• More than 15 million people in the UK have now received a first Covid-19 vaccination. Almost 128,000 first doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been given to people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. People over 70 who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19 have been encouraged to book an appointment via an online NHS portal, without receiving a letter. Covid-19 vaccine trials for children aged 5+ are reportedly due to begin this week. 
• Free PPE will be given to unpaid carers who do not live with the people they care for.

Brexit

• A new £20 million Brexit Support Fund will help small businesses understand changes to rules governing trade with the EU. Grants of up to £2,000 will be available to pay for practical support.  
• Freight flows into and out of Europe from Kent have reportedly returned to February 2020 levels. 

Economy

• Official figures show that the UK's yearly GDP decreased by 9.9% in 2020, the largest recorded annual fall. 
• The Local Government Finance Bill for the next financial year has been debated in Parliament, with contributions from some of Cornwall’s MPs. The Settlement has been confirmed at £51.3 billion, an increase of £2.3 billion on the previous year. 
• Research by the Financial Conduct Authority has found that the number of UK adults with low financial resilience increased from 10.7 million to 14.2 million during 2020.  
• The Prime Minister has reportedly advised that it is “too early” for people to book summer holidays, domestically or internationally. Some holiday companies have seen a 300% increase in bookings compared to the same time last year. 

Education

• The Government has said that schools should not be used as polling stations for the May local elections if alternatives can be found. 
• A report examining teacher assessment data from 6,000 primary schools has concluded that Year 1 pupils experienced the greatest drop in their learning during the pandemic. Younger children took longer to catch up when they returned to in-person teaching. 
• 81 professional development hubs for teachers across the UK are to open later this year. 
• The Rural Services Network (RSN) has responded to the Government’s recent Skills for Jobs White Paper, which proposes reforms to post-16 technical education. The RSN highlights that rural requirements and land-based colleges are not mentioned. 

Environment

• A new £10 million Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund will provide grants of up to £100,000 to help charities, local authorities and businesses develop nature projects in England to attract private investment. 

Equality and diversity

• ONS data shows almost 60% of people who died from Covid-19 in 2020 were disabled, despite comprising just over 17% of the study population. The risk of death tripled for people with severe disabilities. 
• New analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows one third of UK households with children under 5 live in poverty. 56% of lone parent families with young children are poor. 
• A Parliamentary Select Committee has found that the pandemic has had an unequal economic effect on men and women due to existing inequalities; over-representation of women in some job fields and the Government overlooking caring inequalities that disproportionally fall on women. 

Health and care

• The Government has published a White Paper on Health and Care, setting out proposals to reorganise the NHS. Planned changes include a legal duty for the NHS and local authorities to collaborate and an end to the requirement for NHS contracts to be tendered. 
• A report by the County Councils Network has found that tens of thousands of adults with care and support needs could live more independently if social care continues to be delivered by councils, rather than the NHS or central government. 

Housing

• Starting later in 2021, councils will have a duty to ensure survivors of domestic abuse and their children can access support in safe accommodation. £125 million Government funding will be provided. 
• The current ban on bailiff evictions has been extended until 31 March. Landlords are still required to give 6 months’ notice to tenants before starting possession proceedings.  

Consultations

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is seeking views on potential measures to eradicate bovine tuberculosis in England. Deadline 24 March 2021. 
• The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is consulting on draft revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework, implementing the recommendations of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. Deadline 27 March 2021.   
• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is seeking evidence on how to take local factors into account in the Government’s flood and coastal defence investment programme. Deadline 29 March 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, 0930 on 8 February. 

Covid-19

• As of 7 February, a total of 12,904 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 360 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.) 
• In the week to 27 January, nearly 83% of in-person Covid-19 test results were received within 24 hours, the highest rate since July 2020. 
• PHE reporting shows that, between 25 - 31 January, Covid-19 activity decreased nationally, including reductions in overall case rates and positivity rates. Covid-19 cases are falling much more slowly in the UK's poorest regions, according to figures reportedly verified by the House of Commons Library. 
• 1 in 7 people in England would have tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in the 28 days up to 18 January 2021, according to ONS analysis.  
• Deaths involving Covid-19 accounted for 46.6% of all deaths in care homes in the week to 22 January, the highest proportion of such deaths since the start of the pandemic. 
• The UK is on target to offer all over-50s and clinically vulnerable people a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by May. 
• Early results from a new study show that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine offers only limited protection from mild to moderate disease against the South African Covid-19 variant. No participants in the 2,000-strong trial were hospitalised or died, but it is not yet known how well the vaccine works against severe disease, since the subjects were young and healthy. Developers are likely to have a version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine which protects against this variant by the autumn. Ministers say that the vaccines being used in the UK at the moment seem to work well against the dominant strains of Covid-19 currently in the country.  
• A new partnership between the Government and vaccine manufacturer CureVac has been formed to rapidly respond to emerging Covid-19 variants, with 50 million additional vaccine doses to be provided if needed. An extra 40 million doses of the Valneva vaccine have been purchased, and will be manufactured in Scotland if regulatory approval is given.  
• From 15 February, anyone coming to the UK from a country on the Government’s travel ban list will be subject to a 10-day mandatory “hotel quarantine”. Quarantine will have to take place in a Government-approved hotel and will be at travellers’ own expense. 

Democracy

• The Government has confirmed that May’s local elections will go ahead, with the Cabinet Office publishing a delivery plan. £92 million of Government grant funding will support making local elections Covid-19 secure. Masks will be compulsory, and voters will be asked to bring their own pen or pencil. 

Economy

• Cornwall is one of 22 areas to have successfully bid for Government funding to support projects which involve a county-wide approach to developing or improving local heritage lists. Detailed proposals will now be worked up for approval, with funding paid via Cornwall Council through a section 31 grant. 
• The Bank of England has forecast that the UK economy will strongly rebound in spring 2021 due to the Covid-19 vaccine programme, although the economy is likely to shrink by over 4% in the first quarter of the year. 
• The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that local authorities face a £1.3 billion shortfall in expected council tax revenues in the current financial year, although Government grants will make up 75% of the deficit. Council tax revenues have not been affected equally around England throughout the pandemic: revenues in the most deprived fifth of local authority areas fell by 1.2% in the first half of 2020 - 21, but grew by 2.4% in the least deprived fifth. 
• The Chancellor has announced that businesses will be given an additional 6-month extension on repaying Government support loans issued during the pandemic. Businesses now have a total of 18 months before repayments must start and can opt for a 10-year repayment term rather than the original 6 years. 

Education and children

• The Education Secretary is reportedly to announce that universities will have a phased return to in-person teaching from 8 March. Ofsted has said that it will continue to carry out inspections remotely until at least March 8. 
• An Education Recovery Commissioner has been appointed to oversee a comprehensive catch-up programme for children who have missed out on learning during the pandemic.  
• A Department for Education survey shows 6% of local authorities have more than 10% of social workers unavailable due to Covid-19, lower than the peak of 13% in May 2020. The total number of children who started to be looked after since May 2020 is 28% lower than the same period in 2016 - 19, suggesting that there may be under-reporting of vulnerable children. 
• PHE data shows a decline in childhood vaccinations. MMR vaccination counts were 8% lower at the end of January 2021 than in the same period in 2019. PHE warn that there may be further impact on primary immunisations as the pandemic continues. 

Environment

• Funding for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) - which provides facilities for people without private parking to reliably charge their electric vehicles - will continue into 2021/22. The Transport Secretary has written to councils encouraging them to apply to the £20 million fund, including those who have already successfully bid for support. 
• Less than 5% of the Government’s £1.5 billion Green Homes Grant Scheme has been paid out, after 5 months of the programme’s operation: the fund is due to close in March 2022. It aims to encourage the replacement of fossil fuel sources with renewable alternatives, as well as improving energy efficiency, in 600,000 homes, with grants of up to £10,000 available. 
• Some of the most polluting businesses in the country – such as steel, pharmaceuticals, food and drink – will be able to apply for a share of £40 million Government funding to help cut their carbon emissions and reduce energy bills. The money could contribute to replacing gas with hydrogen fuel or using heat recovery technology to generate electricity. 

Housing

• A new Resolution Foundation study suggests that the Government will not meet its target of ensuring that 300,000 homes a year are built by the middle of the decade. Slightly fewer than 96,000 homes were constructed in the first three quarters of 2020, with the pandemic having a significant impact on housing supply. 

Consultations 

• The Office of Rail and Road is asking for comments on the proposed guidance document Principles for Managing Level Crossing Safety, which sets out safe level crossing practices. Deadline 25 February 2021.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is consulting on a proposed cost recovery scheme to fund the new UK domestic nuclear safeguards regulatory regime from April 2022. Deadline 09 March 2021. 
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is also seeking views on a new Supply Chain Plan questionnaire as part of the application process for low carbon electricity producers to enter a Contract for Difference allocation round. Deadline 11 March 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, 10am on 1 February.

Covid-19

• As of 31 January, a total of 12,408 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 323 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 number of deaths recorded as associated with Covid-19 in the UK has now exceeded 100,000. 
• The most recent Government Statistics on NHS Test and Trace (14 - 21 January) show that the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 decreased by 17% compared to the previous week. However, in the most recent week, twice as many people tested positive compared to the start of December. Turnaround times for in-person swab tests under Pillar 2 (for the general population) have substantially improved in comparison to the previous week, and are shorter than they were at the beginning of December. 71% of in-person test results were received the following day, compared to 54% in the previous week. 7% 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. 
• New measures relating to international travel have been announced, with anyone wishing to travel out of the UK having to declare a valid reason for doing so. Reasons will be checked, and travelers may be sent home and fined if invalid reasons are given. A review of travel exemptions is currently underway. People arriving in the UK from countries subject to the travel ban, who have a right to enter the country (such as citizens or permanent residents), will have to quarantine in “isolation hotels” for 10 days. Travel corridors are currently temporarily closed and anyone coming to the UK must have had a negative Covid-19 test in the previous 72 hours. 
• UK trials of a new Covid-19 vaccine, from US company Novavax, have shown 89% efficacy. The UK has bought 60m doses, to be manufactured in Teesside. MHRA approval will now be sought.

Devolution

• On February 2, the Leader of Cornwall Council, Cllr Julian German, will give evidence to the House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee as part of their inquiry into The Evolution of Devolution: English Devolution. A transcript of the evidence session will be published subsequently. 
• West Yorkshire’s £1 billion devolution deal has now been signed into law. A mayor and Mayoral Combined Authority will be created, overseeing new powers relating to transport, housing, regeneration and adult education. 

Economy

• The University of Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute is hosting an online event titled "Banking on a Just Transition: Why Small is Beautiful and Money is Mutual". The CEO of South West Mutual, Tony Greenham, will ask what kind of bank is best suited to facilitate a socially just transition to a net zero society. Discussion points will include why money is a social relationship, not a commodity, and why smaller banks can serve the parts of the economy that big banks cannot reach. South West Mutual is seeking to establish the region’s first purpose-led mutual bank. Thursday 4 February 1 - 2 pm, registration is free. 
• The unemployment rate during September - November 2020 was 5%, 1.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier and 0.6 percentage points higher than the previous quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the three months to November 2020, the redundancy rate reached 14.2 per thousand, a record high. 
• Provisional Job Retention Scheme figures for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly show that 33,300 employments were furloughed as of 31 December, representing 15% of eligible employments. This is proportionally higher than in the UK as a whole, where just over 3.8 million employments were furloughed as of 31 December, representing 13% of eligible employments. 
• Provisional Self-Employment Income Support Scheme figures for Cornwall show that 20,500 claims were made up to 31 December, representing a 51% take-up rate. This is proportionally lower than in the UK as a whole, where just over 1.9 million claims were made, comprising a total take-up rate of 57% of the eligible population. 
• HM Revenue and Customs figures on the Eat Out to Help Out scheme for Cornwall show that 863 restaurants made claims for a total of nearly 1.9 million meals. This is the second-highest total number of meals claimed by a Local Authority area in the UK, behind Birmingham. Cornish restaurants claimed just under £10.7 million, an average of £12,300 per outlet. The average discount per meal was £5.66. These figures only apply to businesses with 25 or fewer participating outlets nationally, which served 107 million meals of the 162 million meals claimed by restaurant chains of all sizes. 
• A call has been issued for projects providing research and innovation support in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. £3 million of funding, with a minimum value of £500,000, is available from the European Regional Development Fund. The deadline for outline applications is 8 February 2021. 

Education

• The Prime Minister has announced that the Government hopes to begin allowing in-person teaching from 8 March. Current arrangements for free school meals will be extended for eligible pupils until they are able to return to classrooms. £300 million of new funding will be provided to schools to help with tutoring, with the Government planning to develop a summer schools programme. 

Environment

• Key findings from the State of Nature: Cornwall 2020 report have been released, ahead of the full report’s launch in early spring: they show that much of our local wildlife is in decline. The report, resulting from a collaboration between Cornwall Council’s Environmental Growth Team, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the University of Exeter, is based on huge volumes of local species and habitat data collected largely by volunteer ‘citizen scientists. Nearly half of terrestrial mammals are found in fewer places in Cornwall than in 1980 and nearly half of our breeding birds are in decline. Whilst the report paints a generally gloomy picture, it does include some good news, detailing where concentrated conservation efforts have brought species back from the brink of local extinction. These findings are key to Cornwall’s Local Nature Recovery pilot, one of only five national pilots testing a new approach for nature, as set out in the Environment Bill. You can have your say on what is needed for nature’s recovery by completing the Nature Recovery Plan survey before 14 February 2021. 

Equality and diversity

• Citizens Advice has warned that one in six households are finding it hard to afford broadband during UK lockdowns, effectively shutting people out of access to online services such as applications for support. The organisation is calling on the Government to force broadband providers to offer affordable tariffs: currently, just 3 out of the 13 biggest providers offer affordable tariffs for people on low-income benefits. 

Housing

• The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick MP, has announced plans for local communities to be given the authority to set design standards for every new development. Builders and developers will be required to ensure properties are in keeping with the character of the surrounding area, and planning applications which do not meet these criteria can be automatically rejected. A new Office for Place will support the implementation of a national design code, to be followed by councils when considering planning proposals.

Consultations and campaigns

• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is calling for evidence on how the exemptions from the requirement for an electricity licence currently operate, and whether changes to the regime are needed to reflect Government aims and objectives. Deadline 01 March 2021. 
• The Family Procedure Rule Committee is seeking views on proposed amendments to Part 6 (Service) and new rules in Part 7 (Procedure for Applications in Matrimonial and Civil Partnership Proceedings) of the Family Procedure Rules 2010. Deadline 02 March 2021. 
• HM Treasury is seeking stakeholder views on the Government’s assessment of the VAT challenges created by the Sharing Economy, where businesses and individuals connect with customers directly through digital platforms. Deadline 03 March 2021. 
• The Department for Education is seeking views on proposed changes to the statutory guidance on Keeping Children Safe In Education with a view to making changes for September 2021. Deadline 04 March 2021. 
• HM Revenue and Customs is seeking opinions on the potential design of the Making Tax Digital system for incorporated businesses and other organisations within the charge to Corporation Tax. Deadline 05 March 2021. 
• The Cabinet Office Disability Unit is seeking the views and experiences of people with disabilities, as well as carers and parents, or anyone with an interest in disability issues. Opinions will feed into the development of a new National Strategy for Disabled People, planned to be launched in Spring 2021. If you are unable to complete the survey yourself or need alternative formats, information to support this is available. Deadline 23 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, 11 am on 25 January. 

Covid-19

• As of 24 January, a total of 11,477 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 270 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 England Test and Trace (7 - 13 January) show that positive Covid-19 test results decreased by 15% compared to the previous week, the first fall since the start of December. Turnaround times for in-person swab tests under Pillar 2 (for the general population) have improved in comparison to the previous week, but are still longer than they were at the beginning of December. 53.7% of in-person test results are now received within 24 hours, compared to 31.5% in the previous week. 7% of the close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 were not reached by NHS contact tracers, following substantial changes to the way that contacts in the same household are counted - as detailed in previous newsletters.
• The Department of Health and Social Care, Imperial College London and market research firm Ipsos MORI have published interim findings from the eighth REACT report examining the levels of Covid-19 infection in the general population. More than 142,900 volunteers were tested in England from 6 to 15 January. The findings show Covid-19 infections increased by 50% from early December, with 1 in 63 people infected.
• The Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has warned that the new UK variant of Covid-19 is transmitting between 30% and 70% more easily than the initial strain, and may be as much as 30% more deadly. A new national advertising campaign has been launched urging people to stay at home.
• At the time of writing, more than 6.3 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, has emphasised the importance of continuing to follow Covid-19 physical distancing guidelines, even after vaccination, as the effects of the vaccines on transmission rates are not yet known. In a recent statement, he highlighted that 25% of hospital admissions for Covid-19 are for people under 55.
• People in high-risk minority ethnic groups should be prioritised for coronavirus immunisations, alongside a targeted publicity campaign, say public health experts and MPs, amid growing concerns about vaccine scepticism. The Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has also raised concerns, after research from the latest annual UK Household Longitudinal Study suggested up to 72% of Black people were unlikely or very unlikely to have the jab.

Democracy

• A Local Government Information Unit survey of English local authorities has found that more than two thirds of respondents suggest it would be more achievable to hold local elections in autumn, rather than May, as currently scheduled. 11% believe elections should take place as planned, with 14% preferring a summer poll. 66% of respondents were "very concerned" about elections taking place as planned, highlighting problems with making polling places Covid-19 secure, as well as recruiting and training workers.

Economy

• The Resolution Foundation’s third Living Standards Outlook assesses how the hoped-for post-pandemic economic recovery might translate into a recovery for living standards. The analysis focuses on working-age households, projecting household disposable income for different economic groups. The report suggests that the outlook for equitable living standards looks difficult, due to factors such as the planned withdrawal of additions to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits; an expected increase in unemployment in 2021-22; stalled income growth following EU Exit and the financial crisis. The impact for those on lower incomes and those living in or close to poverty is likely to be particularly hard. The Foundation predicts that a further 1.2 million people, including 400,000 children, will fall into relative poverty, with 23% of the UK population living in relative poverty by 2024-25.
• A new report by the Centre for Cities think-tank has found that that the Covid-19 pandemic could make the Government’s levelling-up plans four times as difficult for some parts of the country, with a risk that the South will be levelled-down. Levelling-up is now contingent on 634,000 people outside London and the South East finding secure and well-paying jobs, compared to 170,000 in March 2020. The think-tank suggests making the temporary £20 Universal Credit boost permanent, and re-introducing the Eat Out to Help Out scheme when safe to do so.

Education and early years provision

• The Education Secretary will reportedly announce soon that children will not return to in-person teaching next month as planned, with education leaders expecting a mid-April or May return.
• A new £7.6m Health and Well-Being Fund, set up by the Department of Health and Social Care, will support projects aiming to reduce health inequalities experienced by new mothers and babies. The Fund's focus is on deprived areas and mothers in Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic communities. Trelya in Penzance is one of 19 projects to receive an award, which will help the early intervention charity expand to include specialist provision for children under 2.5 years old and pregnant women.

Consultations

• The Insolvency Service is consulting on changes to the monetary eligibility criteria for Debt Relief Orders (DRO) for the most vulnerable with relatively low levels of unmanageable debt and no means with which to pay their creditors. At the end of the DRO period (usually 12 months) the debts included within the order are written off. Deadline 25 February 2021. 
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on bringing forward the deadline for phasing out unabated coal-fired generation in Great Britain to 1 October 2024. Deadline 26 February 2021.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on the proposal to allow low-income workers who are not able to secure the number of hours they would like from their current employer to seek additional work elsewhere. Deadline 26 February 2021.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and HM Treasury are seeking evidence on greenhouse gas removal methods, and views on policy mechanisms that could incentivise and facilitate their development and deployment. Deadline 26 February 2021.
• The Department of Health and Social Care is asking for opinions on whether the temporary measure allowing both pills for an early medical abortion to be taken at home should be made permanent. Deadline 26 February 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, 11am on 18 January.

G7 Summit

The Carbis Bay estate in Cornwall will be hosting the G7 Summit between the 11th and 13^th of June 2021. The leaders of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA and the EU will be joined by the by the leaders of Australia, India and South Korea to discuss plans for international economic recovery. International delegates will also be staying at the Tregenna Castle Resort and other locations in neighbouring St Ives and around Cornwall. Cornwall Airport Newquay and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth will play an official role in the Summit, with Falmouth hosting UK and international media. Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council said the Summit is an opportunity to show the "crucial role" that rural areas like Cornwall will play in the decarbonised, digitised world of tomorrow. Visit Cornwall estimates the total economic impact for the region will be £50 million.

Covid-19

·            The case rate in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly remains below the national average and fell by 14.8% in the seven days to January 12 with 1703 people returning a positive test during this period. The positive test rate in Cornwall is 0.2% (297.8 per 100,000).

·          From 4am today (18 January 2021), all UK travel corridors are closed to people without a legally permitted reason to travel. Any travellers returning to the UK must self-isolate after arriving in the UK, even with a negative test. Tests are required three days before travel.

·          The Times reports that people over 70 years of age will begin receiving letters today (Monday 18 January 2021) inviting them to arrange their coronavirus jab appointments. It is expected that more than 5.5 million people will be eligible, joining the four million over-80s, care home residents and health service and social care staff that have already been vaccinated.

·          The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is contributing to the National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database (NCCID) which is combining over 40,000 CT scans, MRIs and X-rays from more than 10,000 patients across the UK to create a database that can speed up diagnosis of COVID-19, a quicker treatment plan and a greater understanding of whether the patient may end up in a critical condition.

·            As of Thursday 14 January 2021, 35 confirmed and 12 probable cases of the South African variant of SARS-CoV-2 variant have been identified in the UK. There have also been eight confirmed cases of Brazilian variants of the virus identified in the UK. The spread and significance of these variations remains under investigation.

·            The Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi has said councils will have the granular vaccine take up data they need to understand how successful the vaccine rollout has been in their areas. Mr Zahawi is understood to have made a commitment that directors of public health will have the data they need to  tailor efforts to reach those who have not yet taken up the offer of a vaccine, but no date has been given for sharing local or middle layer super output area data, which public health directors have been calling for.

Brexit

·         The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will chair a new Cabinet committee to identify EU-derived regulations that restrict business freedoms in the UK. The prime minister will meet with 30 senior business leaders today (Monday 21 January) to discuss regulatory freedoms and reforming EU rules, in a plan to turn the UK into the “Singapore of Europe” the Times reports. 

Devolution

·          Devolution is to be part of one of five strands in a new curriculum being developed to overhaul training for civil servants improve Civil Service skills and expertise the Cabinet Office has announced.

Economy

·            The budget deficit continues to rise very sharply with the pace of government borrowing picking up again in November 2020 to reach £32 billion, the highest monthly total since May. Year-to-date borrowing now stands at £241 billion, far exceeding the pre-virus annual record set at the peak of the financial crisis (£158 billion).The Office for Budget Responsibility’s November forecast reports the government response to the coronavirus has caused the UK economy to shrink by 11% in 2020, the deepest recession in over 300 years. The government will borrow almost £400 billion this year, generating the highest budget deficit since 1944 and generating public debt in excess of 100% of GDP for the first time since 1960. The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Economic Update speech on 11 January 2021 reported the loss of over 800,000 jobs since February 2020 with the economy now 6.7% smaller than it was before the Covid crisis.

·            The government intends to legislate to expand the Dormant Assets Scheme to include over £800 million in additional unclaimed assets from the insurance and pensions, investment and wealth management, and securities sectors for social and environmental causes.

·            The bidding process for providers on Tier 1 of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Commercial Agreement for Employment and Health Related Services framework (CAEHRS) for contracts under the new Restart scheme has commenced. The scheme will give Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least 12 months individually tailored support to find jobs in their local area. Bidders in Cornwall will need to show how they will tailor their offer to local conditions in the South West Contract Package Area (CPA) and work closely with employers, local government and other service providers to identify skills gaps and growth sectors and complement the wider landscape of support. The Restart programme has invited the Local Government Association, Core Cities Group, the LEP Network, and the Combined Authorities to help coordinate input from local partners into the design of the tender question for each CPA, and to provide nominees for involvement in bid assessment. DWP expects contracts to be awarded in Spring 2021, which go live in Summer 2021. 

Education

·            The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson launched an independent review on Friday 15 January 2021 to investigate children’s social care. Over a third of children who have left care (39%) are not in education, employment or training, compared to 13% of all 19-21-year-olds and just 13% progressed to Higher Education by age 19 compared to 43% of all other pupils. The review will be chaired by Josh MacAlister, a teaching graduate of the government’s Teach First initiative in 2009 and founder of the charity Frontline in 2013. The Local Government Chronicle have questioned the independence of Mr MacAlister reporting that Frontline received £45 million in 2019 from the government for its programmes and is chaired by Camilla Cavendish, a former advisor to David Cameron who last year led a review of adult social care for the Department of Health & Social Care, adding that Mr MacAlister has “no relevant experience or background professionally or personally in children’s social care”.

Environment

·            A map showing the river catchments polluted by abandoned metal mines in Cornwall and Devon, including where measures are in place to manage this pollution was published by the Coal Authority. This map shows the rivers in Cornwall and Devon that are polluted by at least one metal, which includes cadmium, lead, zinc, copper, nickel, arsenic and iron, due to abandoned metal mines. Black triangles show abandoned mine waste sites that are causing serious environmental harm.

·            A Cambridge engineering firm CVE, specialising in clean energy, is part of a consortium of organisations that have won an InnovateUK grant worth £15 million to dramatically reduce the installation costs of the world’s largest offshore wind farm in the North Sea. CVE has adapted its latest high-tech welding technology to reduce the fabrication time and cost of the wind turbine foundations by up to 25%

Equality and diversity

·           The Department of Health and Social Care have announced a major reform of the Mental Health Act in a white paper which aims to tackle the racial disparities in mental health services, better meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism and ensure appropriate care for people with serious mental illness within the criminal justice system”.

·            A survey into the effects of the coronavirus on voluntary community sector organisations operating in Cornwall has found 88% of responding organisations had seen a drop in income, in conjunction with a 48% increase in outgoings and a 61% increase in demand for their services. Respondents reported that the most pressing needs in the community include mental health and isolation, poverty (food and fuel) and digital exclusion. 10% of responding organisations stated that their financial future was uncertain, or they were unlikely to survive the next financial quarter.

·            The Government Equalities Office reports a 7% increase in the understanding of the gender pay gap regulations in 2019  with 89% of employers saying they had a good understanding. 23% of organisations report complying with gender pay gap regulations is a high priority.

Housing

·               The Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP announced plans on Saturday 16 January 2021 to reform the ‘Right to Contest’ under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. The new proposals called the ‘Right to Regenerate’ would make the sale of unused Council-owned land the default position, unless there were compelling reasons not to and make it easier for members of the public to challenge councils and other public organisations to sell vacant plots of land and derelict buildings that had been kept too long without being used or had no clear plans for use in the near future. The proposals would also apply to unused publicly owned social housing and garages. The Secretary of State will act as an arbiter to ensure fairness and speedy outcomes in all cases. The proposals have the support of the National Community Land Trust Network and Civic Voice and are now open for consultation until the 13 March 2021.

·               The Guardian reports Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping & Housing Kelly Tolhurst has resigned following ‘devasting’ family news. 

Consultations and Campaigns

·               The Home Office are seeking your views on enhanced security for particularly powerful rifles, introducing licensing controls on miniature rifle ranges, and tougher controls on ammunition. Deadline 16 February 2021.

·               The Home Office are seeking your views to help inform the development of the government’s next Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. They are particularly keen to hear from people who may feel underrepresented in previous strategies or who feel their circumstances were not supported by existing services. Deadline 19 February 2021.

·               The HM Treasury are consulting on how the UK regulatory framework for financial services needs to adapt to our new position outside the EU. Deadline 19 February 2021.

·               The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are seeking views on how the industry is approaching the financing and deployment of renewable technologies, and how this may change in the future. Deadline 22 February 2021.

·               The Department for Education are seeking views on the revised standards for boarding schools and residential special schools in England. Deadline 23 February 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, 11 am on 11 January. 

Covid-19

• As of 10 January, a total of 8,748 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have tested positive for Covid-19. A total of 199 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.) 
• As of 3 January, the most recent date for which figures are available, 1,296,432 people in the UK have been given the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
• 1,325 people in the UK died due to Covid-19 on Friday 9 January, the highest daily toll of UK Covid-19 deaths. More than 3 million people in the UK have now tested positive for the virus. A new “act like you’ve got it” Government advertising campaign has been launched, fronted by the Chief Medical Officer, to urge people to stay at home. 
• The Office for National Statistics estimates that over 1.1 million people in the community in England had Covid-19 during 27 December - 2 January, equivalent to 1 in 50 of the population. In London, the rate is likely to be 1 in 30 of the population.
• The rate of hospital admissions in England for patients with Covid-19 increased to 27.8 per 100,000 people in the week ending 3 January, almost double the previous week’s rate of 14 per 100,000 people. In the week ending 25 December, deaths involving Covid-19 represented 24.6% of all deaths in England, compared to 22.5% in the previous week.
• MPs voted to approve the new national Covid-19 lockdown restrictions by a 524-16 majority, on Wednesday 6 January. The measures have been authorised for 12 weeks.
• The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock MP, has said that every UK adult will be offered a Covid-19 vaccine by autumn 2021. A third Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna, has been given emergency approval for use by the UK regulatory authority. The Government has ordered 7 million doses, but these are unlikely to arrive in the UK until spring. 
• 7 new mass vaccination hubs have been announced for England, including Bristol in the South West. There are due to begin operation this week. Community testing for asymptomatic people is to be rolled out to every local authority area in England, using rapid lateral flow tests.
• The latest survey data from the Office for National Statistics shows that, between 22 December - 3 January, compliance with most measures to inhibit the spread of Covid-19 remained high. 90% of adults reported always or often washing their hands after returning home; 97% said they used a face covering and 89% avoided physical contact outside their home. 85% of people surveyed reported that they would be likely or highly likely to have a vaccine when available, compared to 78% during 10 - 13 December.
• The Office of National Statistics surveyed people about their Christmas activities compared to their plans for the holidays, finding that 44% of respondents said they had formed an exclusive Christmas bubble on Christmas Day: 50% of respondents said they had planned to do so when asked between 10 - 13 December. 18% of those who replied to the survey said it was difficult or very difficult to follow Government rules over the holiday period – 48% of these respondents said that this was because they had already made plans for Christmas before the rules changed.
• Trading Standards teams in some local authorities have warned that fraudsters are offering scam vaccine appointments by phone or via texts which are linked to a convincing-looking fake NHS website. Victims are encouraged to input their bank details. The Local Government Association has urged anyone contacted about a vaccine to remember that the NHS will never ask for payment or bank details; require you to send a text to confirm the booking; or ask you to press a button on your keypad when on the phone.

Democracy

• Confusion continues about whether local elections in May will go ahead, despite Covid-19 concerns. Some newspapers report that elections are likely to take place as planned, while others cite Cabinet Office contingency preparations for polls to take place in June, July or September instead. The County Councils Network has said that clarity is needed due to the scale of the challenge presented by Covid-19.

Economy

• A Parliamentary committee has reportedly warned that rural areas could be without  fast broadband for years, given a “litany” of Government failures in its high-speed coverage programme. The Conservative manifesto commitment of gigabit broadband by 2025 was deemed “unachievable” by the Public Accounts Committee, with concerns that peripheral areas could be left behind. Cornish constituencies comprise 4 of the 10 areas in Britain with the slowest broadband, according to Ofcom.
• The latest analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows that, between 30 November - 13 December, 84% of UK businesses were trading, up from 80% between the 16 - 29 November. Excluding businesses which have permanently ceased trading, 11% of the workforce were furloughed, a decrease from 16% between the 16 - 29 November.

Education

• Head teachers’ unions have warned that schools cannot meet demand for in-person places while reducing social mixing, with some schools reporting a 50% attendance rate. Government advice now states that parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can, although school places are still available if this is not possible.
• The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has said that existing catch-up programmes need to be “rocket boosted” in light of new school closures, and that a commission should be launched to consider how disadvantaged children will make up education time that has been lost. The Commissioner added that every school should have a mental health counsellor.

Environment

• Cornwall Council has launched a nature recovery engagement hub. Whether it's wildflowers for pollinators, more trees to fight climate change, more green spaces in our towns, or a habitat or species someone is passionate about – residents can submit their views to help shape our Nature Recovery Plan.
• Awards to distilleries have been made from a £10 million Government fund to cut carbon emissions and support the creation of green jobs in the industry. The funding aims to enable carbon reductions equivalent to taking 200,000 cars off the road each year. Bennamann Ltd, in Cornwall, has been awarded over £46,000 to develop the use of fugitive methane as a fuel.   

Equality and diversity

• The Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a summary of research from the evidence-gathering phase of the Deaton Review of Inequalities. The report has found that:

1. Covid-19 has worsened inequalities between graduates and non-graduates, with a 17% reduction in non-graduates doing any hours of paid work in the 3^rd quarter of 2020, compared with a 7% reduction for graduates – who are less likely to work in locked-down sectors.
2. Between March - July 2020, Covid-19 mortality rates were twice as high in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. 
3. Students at private schools were twice as likely as those at state schools to have daily online lessons during lockdown.
4. The pandemic has had very different impacts on people of different ethnicities, with some black groups experiencing Covid-19 mortality rates that are twice as high as some white groups. Some ethnic groups have also experienced an uneven economic effect, as they are more likely to work in locked-down sectors. 
5. Pensioners have reported becoming financially better off, on average, during 2020. Younger people have suffered the worst effects of income reduction and job losses.

• A report by the Resolution Foundation has highlighted the unequal impact of the pandemic during the first lockdown:

1. 3% of 35- to 44-year olds in a household from the top third of income distribution lived in a damp home, compared to 9% of those from the bottom third. 
2. Children in lower income households were more likely to experience overcrowded households, poor internet access and a lack of garden.
3. 16% of women reduced their work hours to care for children, compared to 9% of men. Mothers were also around 33% more likely than fathers to lose their jobs during the first lockdown. Among non-parents, job losses were balanced by gender.
4. 50% of people with savings of under £1,000 reported that they had to draw down on these during lockdown, compared to only 19% of people with savings in excess of £20,000. 

Housing

• The current ban on evictions will be extended until mid-February, amid reports that 70,000 households have been made homeless since the start of the pandemic. £10 million of additional funding has been announced for councils in England to help accommodate rough sleepers.

Consultations and campaigns

• The Environment Agency seeks views on proposed new guidance for regulated facilities with an environmental permit to mechanically treat metal waste in shredders. Deadline 08 February 2021.
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and UK Export Finance are consulting on how to further enable an accelerated growth in UK clean energy exports. Deadline 08 February 2021. 
• The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is seeking views on how mortgage lenders can help householders improve the energy performance of their homes. Deadline 12 February 2021.
• The Department for Transport is seeking evidence from anyone with an interest in rural mobility and transport innovation, for their development of a rural strategy for the future of transport. Deadline 16 February 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, 9am on 5 January. 

Covid-19

• England entered a national lockdown in the early hours of 5 January, which will last until at least mid-February. Scotland has also entered a national lockdown; Wales and Northern Ireland are already in lockdowns.
  • The whole country is under a stay at home order, apart from a small number of exceptions such as collecting essential food and medical supplies; attending medical appointments; providing care; a single session of exercise per day in one’s local area; or travelling to work when it is unreasonable to work at home.
  • All schools and colleges are closed for in-person teaching, apart from for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. Summer exams will not take place as normal, with more details to come from the Department for Education.
  • Students entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them.
  • Household mixing is banned, apart from support and childcare bubbles, with the exception of exercising outdoors with one person not in the same household.
  • Clinically extremely vulnerable people are advised to begin shielding again, and will be written to by the Government.

Brexit

Economy

Education

Equality and diversity

Consultations and campaigns

The articles below have been drawn together by the policy and analytical community within the Council. Information is correct at the time of writing, 9am on 21 December.

Covid-19

Brexit

Devolution

Economy

Education

Environment

Equality and diversity

Housing

Consultations and Campaigns

And finally… 

The articles below have been drawn together by the policy and analytical community within the Council. This newsletter can also be found on our website.

Covid-19

Brexit

Economy

Education

Environment

Equality and diversity

Health

Housing

Voluntary sector

Consultations