The hot government news at the moment is the withdrawal of net zero policies by the prime minister. Despite the roll back, and some criticism, the target to reach Net Zero by 2050 remains in place – a target that Sunak still believes can be met.

 

As we come to the end of summer, in this issue of Government Business, we take a look at some of the seasonal issues affecting local authorities - invasive plants, damp and mould and road maintenance.

 

With new fire safety regulations coming into force in October, we explain what the changes mean for local authorities.

 

UKATA assesses some of the risks and solutions for asbestos in social housing, the NFDC explains how levelling up needs demolition and the MRS looks at how to use AI in research.

 

We’ve also got framework explainers and event previews.

 

Polly Jones, editor