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Local government appears to have emerged from Parliament's pre-election ‘wash up' period strongly, with three out of four key Bills poised to receive Royal Assent as The MJ went to press. Local government lobbyists, including the Local Government Association (LGA)'s strong public affairs team, were quietly celebrating a government amendment to the Personal Care at Home Bill, which will extend free personal care for those most in need beyond the current six week timeframe, and which was expected to pass into law on 8 April. Ministers have agreed a small amendment to the Bill, which means the new regulations will not come into force until April 2011, giving local authorities more time to prepare for the cost of the expanded system and to ensure they have staff with the skills required for new duties. The LGA had lobbied for similar changes, and sources told The MJ it was pleased with the extended timeframe. The Flood and Water Management Bill, which will transfer local flood risk management to local authorities, was also set to receive Royal Assent. The LGA has been concerned about the cost involved with the new system for some time, and had challenged government projections. In response, ministers have set up a new panel – made up of representatives of the CLG, the LGA, the Environment Agency and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – which will look into financial and skills implications. Finally, deputy prime minister Harriet Harman's Equality Bill passed into law on 6 April. It creates a unified public sector duty to promote equality in public policy and decision-making. But the controversial Children, Schools and Families Bill – backed by education secretary, Ed Balls – looked set to become a high-profile victim of the ‘wash up'. Lords amendments to the Bill, which would create new powers for local authorities and the secretary of state to intervene to raise school standards and new ‘guarantees' for parents and pupils, were set to be debated on 8 April. But judicial experts said Opposition refusal to back key elements of the Bill – and the narrowing timeframe for debate and amendment – meant it was ‘highly unlikely' to pass into law before Parliament was dissolved on 12 April.

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WHITEHALL

Key Bills survive 'wash up' period

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