To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local government representatives on reducing the spread of covid-19.

My Department is continuing to work with local partners to manage the potential impacts of a Covid-19 outbreak and any implications for the delivery of public services.

The Secretary of State held a teleconference with Combined Authority Mayors on Thursday, 12 March. He also hosted a teleconference on Covid-19 for all Council Leaders and Local Authority Chief Executives. Local government representatives were invited to ask any questions in advance. Ministers and officials from other government departments also joined the call to provide a situational update and answer questions.

Senior officials have been instructed to continue to support the Government’s four-phased approach to tackling the virus working closely with the network of 9 chief executives who represent their regions, and providing updates to all council Chief Executives when appropriate. My Department is also working closely with the Local Government Association.

The Secretary of State has also recently set up a Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Taskforce who will assess LRF plans and provide support and advice to ensure they are robust.