The Liberal Democrats have called on the Health Secretary to announce the public health grant amidst the Coronavirus crisis.

Ed Davey, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and Munira Wilson , Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, have written to Matt Hancock calling on him to announce the funding to ensure councils could fulfil their role as a "key part" in containing the virus.

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"Having failed to tell local councils how much the public health grant will be, the Tories have made it all but impossible for councils to ensure our communities have proper healthcare.

"Even if it was business as usual this would be shameful, but with the Coronavirus it is nothing short of an abdication of duty.

"Public health information is vital to lowering the Coronavirus peak, but even more alarming is the inability for local councils to try and address the inevitable gaps in our social care sector getting worse.

"Whilst the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are happily touring the TV studios, they are utterly failing at the most basic level to support councils in their vital work."

The full text of the letter is as follows:

'Dear Secretary of State,

I am writing to urge you to immediately announce the public health grant for local authorities for 2020/21.

The unacceptable delay has made it extremely difficult for local government to plan health services in the community such as sexual health services, the NHS Health Check programme and public health advice to NHS Commissioners.

With the coronavirus, this delay has become even more serious.

Public Health funding is a crucial component for ensuring public services work together to issue advice and information, but also plan for knock on effects on the social care workforce for example.

The delay has also compounded the severe reductions in local authorities' public health grant funding - over £700 million in real terms between 2015/16 and 2019/20 - which has left councils under incredible pressure to deliver vital community health services.

The Government has said on various occasions that the best way to reduce the peak of Coronavirus is to contain and delay it - public health information is a key part of that strategy and it must not be neglected by this government.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Davey MP, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Munira Wilson MP, Health, Wellbeing and Social Care Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats'

"Today's report of Kent's first case of coronavirus in Maidstone will concern many. Our thoughts are obviously for the patient, his or her family, work colleagues and friends.

We now know that it is highly likely that Covid-19 will have a major impact on Maidstone and the rest of Kent. We are liaising with officers at both County and Borough level to ensure that everything is being done to get Kent prepared for any emergency.

Earlier today, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran slammed the Conservatives for "failing the most vulnerable", as analysis of new rough sleeping statistics shows that the Government is significantly off track on its target of eliminating rough sleeping by 2024.

The Conservatives announced the revised target, which was previously 2027, after the election in December.

The latest Rough sleeping snapshot, published today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, shows that there were an estimated 4,266 rough sleepers in England on any given night in Autumn 2019, a reduction of just 411 people (8.8%) on 2018's figure. The figures are still a massive 141% up on 2010.

According to Government figures, the South-East has some 900 rough sleepers on a typical night, the biggest number outside London.

The disabled bus pass and companion pass are currently only valid from 9:30 am onwards. Last September Kent County Council unanimously approved a Liberal Democrat proposal to make the pass valid for travel in Kent before 9:30am. KCC should get the new arrangements put in place straight away.

KCC has set aside £200,000 in its proposed budget for 2020-21 to cover the additional costs. But, 5 months after agreeing to the proposal, KCC has yet to work out how best to implement the new arrangements. That's not good enough.

At the County Council budget meeting on the 13^th February the Liberal Democrats will be calling on KCC to provide Kent's parish and town councils and community groups with the support needed to get electric vehicle (EV) charging points in their areas.

The Lib Dems will be asking for a ringfenced fund of £500,000 to be spread over the next two years to help fund the procurement and installation of publicly accessible charging points in car-parks owned by the parishes and local community groups.

The Prime Minister has announced £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycle links for every region outside London. This should result in well over £100 million being allocated to Kent. It is very welcome but much more will be needed.

Bus services outside London are in crisis, with less and less people taking the bus and consequently more and more people relying upon their cars. The vast majority of bus users are concessionary pass-holders - either young people going to school or college or 'senior citizens' who are eligible to free bus travel.

Ida Linfield presses for vital new pedestrian crossing near Canterbury school.

"I can think of nothing worse in the whole world than arranging for your child to walk safely to school with friends and then getting someone at the door saying he had been knocked down", said Ida Linfield, Lib Dem County Councillor in Canterbury.