Lord Peter Hain, the former secretary of state for Wales, has said the plans to allow the devolution of income tax without a referendum is folly.

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced that a new public body offering debt advice, money and pensions guidance is to be set up support consumers making financial decisions.

Liverpool’s green spaces could be maintained and preserved by a Parks Trust in the future if new recommendations are pursued.
A report by the Strategic Green and Open Spaces Review Board, set up by Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, has suggested that such a move would ‘free the open spaces from financial constraints the city council faces’.

A new initiative by Devon County Council wants to encourage an army of volunteers to fix potholes the council cannot afford to fix themselves.
The Community Road Wardens initiative, believed to be the first of its kind, will see the council recruiting and training public volunteers to fill in holes and supplied with the equipment and materials needed.
Community Road Wardens can act as their town or parish’s primary point of contact with the County Council’s local Neighbourhood Highway Officers, and the scheme enables communities to undertake some local priority work.

Hundreds of extra schools should be built in England to cope with the school population bulge, say public sector buildings specialists Scape group.
Government figures suggest there will be almost 730,000 more school age children by 2020 than there were last year, which is predicted to equate to 24,287 classrooms.
The Local Government Association stance on the situation agrees that more places are needed, stating that its own research suggests that although existing schools have been expanding to cope with the bulge, many have almost run out of space.

Councils could soon have scrutiny powers over academies similar to those they already have for health bodies.

As part of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's front bench reshuffle, Diane Abbott has been appointed Shadow Home Secretary.
Corbyn has promised to unite his party following his re-election as leader in September, with Abbott the most high profile name changing role, leaving her post as Shadow Health Secretary, a position left vacant by Andy Burnham’s decision to run in the Greater Manchester mayoral election.
Controversially, the popular figure Rosie Winterton, considered by many as the main unifying figure in the party, has left her role as chief whip.

Despite positive progress in children’s social care in the region, the services at Sandwell Council are to be transferred to a trust.

The government has overruled Lancashire County Council’s decision to refuse permission for a fracking site.

The public has issued support for plans to form a combined authority covering the Solent area.