Four leading local government associations have joined together to urge the new government to address the critical funding challenges facing local authorities.
The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) represent senior leaders across place services, children’s services, adult social services and public health.

London Councils has published a new report, which reveals that London boroughs collectively spent £114 million a month on temporary accommodation for homeless Londoners in the 2023-24 financial year. This is equivalent to £4 million a day.
The 'London’s Homelessness Emergency' report also reveals that boroughs’ spending on temporary accommodation jumped by 68 per cent in just one year.
The report highlights that homelessness in the capital is at record levels and that the current situation is “utterly unsustainable”.

A new data bill has been introduced to parliament.
The Data Use and Access Bill aims to harness the power of data to boost the UK economy by £10 billion, and free up millions of police and NHS staff hours.
The Bill is designed to unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest, without adding pressures to the country’s finances.
It will also help to deliver three of the government's five missions: kickstarting economic growth; taking back our streets; and building an NHS fit for the future.

Guidance on Civil Servant office attendance will remain the same, with most civil servants expected to spend at least 60 per cent of their time at a Government building or on official business, such as visiting stakeholders.

The government has published its response to the Competition and Market’s Authority’s (CMA) housebuilding study.
Earlier this year, the CMA made 11 recommendations highlighting ongoing issues in the housebuilding market.
The government has accepted the recommendations to bring forward a new consumer code for housebuilders and a New Homes Ombudsman service which will empower homeowners to rightly challenge developers for any quality issues they face in their home.

Winners of a £1.4 million competition to transform the transport sector have been announced by the Department for Transport.

Welsh deputy first minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, has announced the prohibition of the supply of single-use vapes in Wales.

A new study has found that 5.6 million tonnes of packaging waste was binned by households last year.

The Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales 2024 - shared by deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies - sets out what the government is doing already and what it will do in the future.

In a survey by the Local Government Association, one in four councils have said that they are likely to have to apply for emergency government bailout agreements to stave off bankruptcy in the next two financial years.
The LGA is calling on the government to take action in the Autumn Budget to 'stabilise council finances and avoid another hammer blow being delivered to local services'.