Essential maintenance is being carried out on the forms you use to contact us.
This evening (Tuesday 27 June) we are updating the online forms you use to get in touch with us.
The updates include changes to the layouts so they are easier to use.
If you can’t access our online forms, it could be that they are still in maintenance mode. Just try again at a later time.
We will let you know when the maintenance is complete.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid today (27 June 2017) announced a new independent expert advisory panel to advise on any immediate measures that can be put in place to make buildings safe following the Grenfell Tower fire.
A separate independent Public Inquiry will investigate what happened and who was responsible for the disaster. This expert panel will look at any immediate action that is required so the public can be confident everything possible is being done to make all public and private buildings safe as quickly as possible.
The Panel will be made up of a range of building and fire safety experts, and will be chaired by Sir Ken Knight, former London Fire Commissioner and former Government Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser.
Other core members of the panel will be Dr Peter Bonfield, Chief Executive of the Building Research Establishment, Roy Wilsher, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council and Amanda Clack, EY partner and President of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The panel have a wealth of experience in fire and building safety, including testing processes. They will also draw in wider technical expertise as necessary to inform their advice to the Communities Secretary. It is intended that a first meeting of the Panel will take place this week.
Sajid Javid said:
It’s absolutely right that there will be an independent public inquiry to get to the truth about what happened and who was responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
However, I want to know if there are measures we can put in place now to keep people safe and I want them done immediately. I want the public to be confident everything possible is being done.
That is why I am announcing a new expert advisory panel to advise government on any immediate action that is required to ensure all buildings are safe.
Sir Ken Knight said:
I thank the Secretary of State for appointing me to chair this panel and welcome the opportunity to work with other experts to ensure that our buildings are safe and that we take whatever steps are necessary to ensure such a dreadful incident never happens again.
Dr Peter Bonfield said:
It is important that the best expertise from across our industry, the research communities, the professions and the public sector is drawn out to support the government and society at this critical time of need. I look forward to working with Sir Ken and drawing in expertise which will help address the challenges faced. I know that the will to positively contribute from professional bodies and others is strong and we will deploy this to support our work.
First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has today set out his government’s legislative priorities for the year ahead.
In the first of 5 bills, the Welsh Government will introduce legislation that will make it illegal for alcohol to be sold below a set price.
Evidence shows a direct link between drinking harmful levels and the availability of cheap alcohol. The Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) Bill will propose a formula for calculating the minimum price for alcohol, based on its strength and volume, and enable local authorities to enforce the powers and bring prosecutions.
The government is also introducing a bill to stop landlords and estate agents from charging unfair, up-front fees to tenants and prospective tenants in the private rented sector.
Increasing evidence shows the current fees – which can be as high as £700 – are a barrier to people looking to rent their own place and discourage people from moving home. The bill will provide private renters with clarity about the costs involved and ensure the system is fair and sustainable.
Over the next 12 months, the government will also introduce a bill that will pave the way for one of its key pledges – 30 hours of free childcare a week for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.
Good progress is being made on the childcare offer, with the first pilot set to begin in September. The bill will support this and enable the childcare offer to be rolled out in full by 2020 by creating a national system for applications and eligibility checks.
The Welsh Government will also bring forward legislation to reform local government in Wales. The bill will establish a new relationship between the Welsh Government and local government, create greater transparency in decision making and ensure greater collaboration through mandatory regional working arrangements.
The government will also bring forward legislation in the next 12 months to reform the regulatory controls for registered social landlords in Wales. In September 2016, the Office for National Statistics reclassified RSLs into the public sector. As a consequence, any private sector borrowing by RSLs will become a charge against the Welsh Government’s capital budget.
If not addressed, the change by ONS could restrict the development of new affordable social housing and restrict our own ability to fund other capital infrastructure projects. The Welsh Government’s bill proposes to reform central and local government controls over RSLs, enabling the ONS to reconsider the reclassification and return them to the private sector.
The government is also seeking cross-party support for legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, and will consult on proposals with the intention of introducing a bill in the 3rd year of this Assembly term.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“The bills we intend to introduce during the 2nd year of this Assembly will support our efforts to build a Wales that is healthy and active, prosperous and secure, ambitious and learning and united and connected.
“The 5 bills will tackle harmful alcohol consumption, help support working parents, protect tenants from unfair fees and reform and improve local government.
“Last week the UK government set out its legislative intentions in the Queen’s Speech. While wholly unambitious, the statement included the Repeal Bill and other Brexit-related bills.
“As I have repeatedly made clear, the UK government must respect the devolution settlement. If this does not happen, we will consider other options, such as a Continuity bill, to protect Wales’ interests.
“Leaving the European Union will have a significant impact on the business of this Welsh Government and National Assembly. It would be naive to assume that it will not also have an impact on our own legislative programme – but, we will do all we can to keep driving forward progress and delivering for the people of Wales.”
After the election, Nicola Sturgeon committed to reflecting on the outcome and, in particular, on the issue of a second independence referendum. Today she set out her reflections in a speech to the Scottish Parliament. Here’s what you need to know.
Rollout of improvement work to the LAA Portal has been delayed.
The original intention was to complete this work in May 2017. But we are now working on a new rollout schedule and will be providing updates on GOV.UK.
Keep an eye on our e-alerts and GOV.UK news stories in the coming weeks. These will give you the information you need on accessing the Portal.
As we told you in April, the upgrade will require an IT outage to the Portal and all the applications accessed through it. This will be done during an off-peak period in order to cause minimal disruption.
Once the work has been finalised you should see the following improvements:
You will need to reset your password once the upgrade has been completed.
It is vital that that you know your password for the current Portal in order to do this. If you cannot recall your current password you will need to use the ‘Password Resets’ link below.
If you know your password you will not need reset it at this stage.
Password Resets – use this link and select the password reset video from the list of options
Portal upgrade guidance – advice on logging into the new Portal and frequently asked questions
Upgraded Portal password resets – a short video on what to do if you forget your password in the upgraded Portal (video will load automatically).