Memorandum by the Local Government Association
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 The Local Government Association (LGA)
promotes better local government. It works with and for member
authorities to realize a shared vision of local government that
enables local people to shape a distinctive and better future
for their locality and its communities. The LGA aims to put councils
at the heart of the drive to improve public services and to work
with government to ensure that the policy, legislative and financial
context in which they operate, supports that objective.
1.2 LGA work on cohesion and migration
— The LGA is represented on a number
of key government groups set up to discuss the impact of recent
migration, including the Migration Impacts Forum and National
Migration Group.
— We have initiated an extensive research
programme on migration. This has produced an influential preliminary
report scoping the difficulties in estimating local populations
from current national statistics and providing a preliminary description
of the current impacts on cohesion and public services. The programme
continues to work with the ONS regarding the national statistics
issues and is developing work on current and future impacts on
localities and their services.
— The LGA works closely with the IDeA
in relation to its work on cohesion and migration and would like
to endorse the IDeA response also submitted to this Inquiry.
— The LGA has produced a range of key
publications with key national partners on cohesion—see
appendix 1 for further information.
2. SUMMARY
— The LGA believes that local authorities
have a key role in building and promoting community cohesion and
integration.
— We feel that central and local government
need to continue to have an open dialogue about challenges in
relation to migration and cohesion so that the solutions developed
reflect local circumstances.
— We believe that in the main councils
have successfully risen to the challenge in responding to large
flows of in migration. However, funding has not followed actual
numbers and in some areas services are becoming very stretched.
— Although there are clear and welcome
economic benefits from migration, we welcome further work with
government to address issues around population data. This would
develop a more effective understanding of the composition of present
and future communities; assist with the planning and targeting
of services; and explore appropriate levels of funding for local
service delivery and local work on cohesion.
— As gaining English language skills
are a key tool in promoting the integration of migrants, we have
concerns about the proposed move of funding away from new arrivals.
3. LGA RESPONSE
Q1. The effect of recent inward migration
on community cohesion and public concerns about this effect
3.1 Estimating the scale and impacts
of migration at the local level, the report commissioned by
the Local Government Association from the Institute of Community
Cohesion (ICoCo) and based on submissions from more than 100 authorities,
has identified that:
— The officially-calculated total population
has significantly increased and in addition, there are many more
short term migrants coming for 1-12 months that aren't counted.
— In-migrants are not homogeneous.
Some come to work, some to study, some to retire, some travel
as family groups, some come to join family already here and some
travel alone.
— However, councils show a broad consensus
about the nature and challenges resulting from recent international
migration.
— Evidence clearly shows that the effects
of recent inward migration are geographically widespread. This
is a national issue.
— Substantial numbers of European migrants
go to towns and rural areas with little previous experience of
international migration, alongside significant movement into places
such as London boroughs and areas in the South East.
3.2 Migration can have an impact on cohesion
both where recent migration, especially from A8 countries, affects
areas not used to population change and where the host community
(including settled migrant populations) can feel threatened by
new arrivals. Tensions and levels of conflict can depend on, for
example, the extent to which migrants are perceived to be "competing"
for jobs with the host community, the extent to services are being
stretched across larger numbers of people and previous local experience
of migration.
3.3 We believe that, in the main, councils
have successfully risen to the challenge in responding to the
inevitable pressures that sudden population increase has brought.
There are many examples of good practice across councils and agencies
in tackling any cohesion issues. However, we are concerned that
funding has not followed this population increase.
3.4 The inaccuracies in the data on recent
migration (see response to Q3 below) can make it difficult to
have a properly informed national and local discussion about the
real impacts of migration and therefore to rebut some of the claims
by anti-immigration groups. This may have adverse effects on community
cohesion.
Q2. The role, responsibilities and actions
of different bodies on community cohesion and migration, including
those of local and central government and of employers
The role of local government
3.5 The LGA believes that local authorities
have a key role in building and promoting community cohesion and
integration, for these reasons:
— Community cohesion must be underpinned
by a shared local vision, developed by local people and partners.
As a result of their community leadership role, local authorities
are best placed to start developing this vision through consultation
throughout their communities.
— Local authorities are best placed
to ensure that all sections of their communities feel that part
of their identity stems from belonging to their local area as
well as their faith, race, age group etc.
— Strong and successful local partnerships
are key to building consensus and reaching out to the whole of
communities. Local authorities can be a focal point for the range
of local organisations working on cohesion in order to develop
an agreed, coherent local strategy and approach. As local leaders,
they also co-ordinate key strategic partnerships such as Local
Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements that are key
mechanisms for tackling a cross-cutting issue such as cohesion.
— Leadership is essential in building
cohesion at a local level. Local authorities have a democratic
mandate from all of the local community and are accountable and
visible to local people.
— Many people's experience of local
organisations is in their service delivery role. Through "mainstreaming"
cohesion issues, councils are increasingly designing and delivering
services with cohesion in mind. Ensuring that no-one in our communities
feels discriminated against in how services are delivered is essential
in building a sense of common citizenship and belonging.
3.6 Delivering integration in the future
must be based on a recognition that a range of well-established
work undertaken in local authorities is supporting integration
and cohesion. Any future work must build on this strong foundation
developed within local authorities.
Local authority actions on cohesion
3.7 There are many examples of good practice
across councils and agencies in tackling cohesion issues—specific
examples are given in the publications listed in Appendix 1. Areas
of work can include:
— Measuring cohesion: Local
authorities bring local partners together to develop a series
of indicators that can provide a clear understanding of local
cohesion challenges and can measure any changes in community tensions.
— Conflict resolution: Local
authorities bring organisations together to monitor tension, to
make community links with hard to reach groups and look at community
mediation when appropriate. Local authorities bring local partners
together to provide a co-ordinated response if there is an increase
in community tension and to work together to aid community reassurance.
— Working with faith communities:
Local authorities actively encourage projects which increase inter-faith
understanding and cooperation and to ensure faith groups feel
that they are key local partners.
— Working with the media: Local
authorities can develop a communications strategy that looks at
dispelling myths and stereotypes and promoting a positive picture
of diversity.
— Working with young people:
Young people need to have a sense of belonging, ownership and
responsibility for their area. If young people are disenfranchised
from mainstream society, this can reinforce divisions between
different groups. Local authorities can ensure that young people
have a bigger stake in local decision making and can also draw
together local partners to ensure that there are sufficient local
facilities that encourage cross cultural contact at all levels.
— Local employer and service providers:
As major local employers and service providers, local authorities
can impact on community relations by provide diversity awareness,
race equality and community cohesion training and support for
its own staff and encourage local partners to do the same.
— Regional working: 11 Regional
Migration Partnerships across the UK are funded by the Home Office
to promote community safety and cohesion through a multi-agency
approach. This is partly achieved through facilitation of strategic
co-ordination groups whose role includes monitoring the impact
of migration on community cohesion and various activities specifically
impacting upon cohesion.
The role of central government
3.8 Central and local government need to
have an open dialogue about challenges and solutions and the freedoms
or support needed by local authorities to foster cohesion and
integration effectively. As each local area is unique in its demographic
and social make-up, work on integration and cohesion needs to
reflect particular local circumstances, rather than government
using a "one size fits all" approach.
Central Government actions on cohesion
3.9 Work undertaken by central government
can include:
— Central government, together with
the local authority central bodies, can engage organisations at
a national level in order to facilitate the difficult discussions
needed around recent migration, Islamaphobia and tackling extremism,
isolation and racism.
— Government also has a role in ensuring
that good practice is shared and can bring together people from
across areas and regions to discuss issues and develop appropriate
responses.
— Government can provide further targeted
funding to facilitate local authority work on community cohesion.
This needs to be flexible enough to be used to meet specific local
needs, such as the recent Community Cohesion and Preventing Violent
Extremism Pathfinder funding and should not divert from current
funding streams.
— As well as large, national interventions,
small scale, local initiatives are important in bringing about
change and must be recognised and supported.
— Ensure that a cross-government rather
than departmental response is provided.
Q3. The effectiveness of local and central
government action and expenditure in promoting community cohesion
and responding to inward migration flows
3.10 The section of the response focuses
on issues around population data. This is key for understanding
present and future communities, the effective planning and targeting
of services and for national and local government funding of these
services and the community infrastructure.
3.11 Councils, the National Statistician,
the Governor of the Bank of England and Ministers across government
departments share the view that current population estimates,
nationally and locally, do not fully account for the impact of
migration, especially with the increase in migrant worker from
EU accession states since 2004.
3.12 The fact that migration is (using currently
available methods) relatively difficult to measure is compounded
by the fact that, for most of the last decade, it has been the
major component of population change.
3.13 Estimates of international migration
and its allocation to localities, are widely seen as the principal
source of inaccuracy. This inadequacy has many facets but can
be summarised as:
— Inappropriate definition—only
those expressing the intention to stay for at least 12 months
are counted, as noted above. Short term migration and "churn"
is not picked up in the statistics but it is large.
— Inaccuracies in estimates at the
national level.
— Inappropriate allocation of in-migrants
to the local level.
3.14 Local authorities therefore need to
use other sources of local data to help inform their understanding
of their local population. No one source, on its own, is currently
likely to provide an entirely accurate and comprehensive population
estimate, especially as none of these is specifically designed
to measure all migrants or all population, but are by-products
of systems designed for other purposes. However, sources of local
data might be enhanced to provide more pertinent data, at least
for validating official population estimates and perhaps for integration
in the estimation procedure. For more information on this subject,
the LGA's evidence to House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee
Inquiry on the Economic Impact of Immigration and Local Government
Association response to the Treasury Select Committee Inquiry
into Counting the Population, November 2007 are attached as Appendix
2 and 3 respectively.
3.15 As these population estimates are used
by central government in the funding formulae to determine the
allocation of the central grant amongst authorities, central grant
does not adequately reflect the impact, nationally and locally,
of migration. There are clear and welcome economic benefits from
migration but tax and national insurance contributions from recent
migration flow to the centre. Migration is placing demands on
services and community infrastructure which are then not fully
recognised in the funding formula.
3.16 In consequence, services are being
stretched and some authorities feel they are unable to fully fund
the pro-active work they would wish to undertake both with the
host community (including settled migrant communities) and the
new migrants. CLG's cohesion fund will help with the latter.
3.17 In areas where migration inflows have
been very marked according to local data and experience, but the
additional increase in population has not been recognised in national
statistics, there are concerns about whether the stretch that
councils are achieving is sustainable. Additional resources are
needed to address this stretch in services and the need to tailor
services to new migrants' needs, such as translation and English
teaching. Without adequate funding, there may be an adverse effect
on community cohesion.
Possible solutions
3.18 ONS plans for improvements in population
statistics are welcome but they need accelerating. They currently
estimate that it will take seven years. There are also short term
steps that could improve matters by systemizing use of administrative
data to check and adjust ONS estimates of local population. The
LGA is now working with ONS to identify sources and approaches
which might be used to improve the quality of local population
statistics.
3.19 CLG could support this work by urging
the key departments—DWP, Home Office, DCFS and DH—to
support the plans and give them priority within their own departmental
work plans and to contribute to the funding, estimated at £50
million in total.
3.20 In addition, as Lyons indicated, if
we had a more locally based way of raising revenue for councils
rather than central grants based on out of date population estimates,
this might better reflect recent pressures on local authorities.
3.21 Estimating the scale and impacts of
migration at the local level suggested a contingency fund where
there are particular shorter term pressures on local services.
This could be modelled on the extra funding for schools or the
recently announced £50 million from CLG to address cohesion
issues. The LGA requested £250 million as this represents
1% of the overall funding allocation and reflects an approximate
1% underestimate of actual population.
Q4. The role of the English language as a
tool in promoting the integration of migrants
3.22 Estimating the scale and impacts of
migration at the local level also noted the need for enhanced
provision and funding of English as a Second Language (ESOL) to
meet the increasing demand, as the costs of translation and interpretation
and communicating in emergencies are being picked up locally.
3.23 Many migrants over estimate their proficiency
and face challenges of learning a new language with consequential
impacts on information advice services. Problems over the provision
of ESOL (stemming from a shortage of appropriate teachers and
LSC funding rules) inhibit the progress that recent migrants can
make in learning English.
3.24 As English language is a tool in promoting
the integration of migrants, the LGA believes that there is also
a need to provide new arrivals with English language training.
Language skills are needed to ensure migrants are fully able to
contribute to the British economy and to ensure that they are
able to access local services. In addition, access to language
classes for new arrivals is key to addressing cohesion to avoid
language acting as a barrier to a successful introduction into
British life and affecting relations between all groups of people
living in the local area.
3.25 The LGA therefore has concerns about
the recent DIUS consultation that will move funding to those who
have made a long-term commitment to live in Britain, rather than
an equal focus on new arrivals.
Q5. The impact of recent migration on local
communities, including the impact on housing, education, health
care and other public services
3.26 It is important to note that the LGA
is keenly aware that migration has many positive impacts. Some
authorities have specifically encouraged migration to tackle imbalances
in the local population and workforce profiles in order to sustain
local businesses and fill hard-to-fill occupations.
3.27 However, the Estimating the scale and
impacts of migration at the local level did include reference
to the following impacts on local services:
— Children's Services: The impact
of "churn" in schools can involve the problems with
the numeracy and literacy of young children, the disruption caused
by mid-term arrivals and the lack of records and assessments.
Local children's services can find it difficult to investigate
and monitor transient families.
— Community Safety: migrants
are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators but there
are some offences with a significant incidence amongst new groups
such as absence of driving documentation, non-use of seat belts
and drink driving.
— Health: impacts depend on
the nature of migrant population but issues highlighted include
inappropriate use of accident and emergency services instead of
GPs.
3.28 In particular, specific housing issues
were raised in this and other work:
— Most migrant workers live in private
rented sector housing because they are not eligible for social
housing and cannot afford to buy their own properties. Whilst
most landlords take their management responsibilities seriously,
there remain a small minority who continue to offer poor quality
housing to some of the most vulnerable people in society—including
migrants. Many migrants may live in overcrowded properties in
a poor state of repair with attendant fire or other health and
safety problems.
— There are also emerging housing market
issues (eg sharp price rises in cheaper properties for buy to
let), with ripple effects to neighbouring authorities.
— LACORS—the national local government
organisation dealing with regulation and enforcement—has
taken a keen interest in this issue and has been liaising with
the Gangmaster Licensing Authority (GLA) to ensure migrant workers
are not mistreated. Information how local authorities can work
with GLA compliance officers on sub-standard accommodation for
migrant workers is available at www.lacors.gov.uk.
— LACORS has also surveyed English
local authorities to establish how many authorities were experiencing
housing issues linked to migrant workers. Most cited the complexity
of the problem and whilst councils are generally aware of their
enforcement powers under the Act, many find these difficult to
take forward as migrant workers are often reluctant to complain
and when they do, are simply moved on by their landlord.
— LACORS will continue to monitor this
issue and to collaborate with the GLA and local authorities.
LGA Next Steps
3.29 The immediate impacts of recent increases
in migration have been urgent and therefore the key focus for
council activity. Councils are only just beginning to consider
longer term impacts, for example, the population projections,
the cohesion requirements for future diverse communities and the
longer term planning needs for all public services and community
infrastructure.
3.30 Therefore, the LGA is currently scoping
an ambitious research programme with CLG, the IDeA, Research Councils
and councils to explore in-depth the current impacts, including
on population, services and community cohesion and to help councils
to anticipate future population changes and how they can work
with partners to best address these. As part of this, we have
a conference planned for 30 January 2008 with Ministerial participation.
Q6. Actions to take forward the Commission
on Integration and Cohesion's recommendations relating to migration
3.31 In response to this question, the LGA
would like to endorse the IDeA's response to this Inquiry which
addresses the key service impacts, key operational issues for
local government and the future opportunities, as evidenced through
its joint work with CLG on the toolkit and peer support for councils.
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