WIREDGOV

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, responded to the Government’s response to its consultation on a new legal duty to tackle serious violence 

“We support a public health approach to tackling serious violent crime, which has become an increasing priority for councils.

“Early intervention and prevention needs to be central to this work, as opposed to relying solely on a criminal justice strategy. This requires the input of a range of partners, including those in the health and education sectors.

“We are concerned amending the Crime and Disorder Act will not create the required step-change to tackle serious violent crime, particularly if this is not supported with extra funding.

“Government needs to reverse funding cuts to local youth services, youth offending teams and councils’ public health budgets, which need to be addressed in the Spending Review, otherwise we will not be able to tackle serious violence in our communities.”

NOTES

1. Councils in England face an overall funding gap of £8 billion by 2025. The LGA’s #CouncilsCan campaign aims to influence the forthcoming Spending Review and highlight the growing risk to vital local services if the Government does not take action to secure the financial sustainability of councils. Visit our campaign page for more information -www.local.gov.uk/spending-review-2019
2. Children’s services face a £3.1 billion funding gap by 2025.
3. Councils were forced to cut spending on local youth services by 52 per cent, from £652 million in 2010/11 to £352 million in 2017/18, as a result of government funding cuts.
4. Government funding for Youth Offending Teams has more than halved, from £145 million in 2010/11 to £72 million in 2017/18.
5. Councils’ public health grants from central government have been reduced by £700 million in real terms between 2015/16 and 2019/20.

New public health duty to tackle serious violence