|
Memorandum from The County Councils Network (BOP 21)
About the CCN The County Councils Network is pleased to provide evidence to the
Select Committee Inquiry into the Balance of Power - Central and Local
Government. The County Councils Network
works on a cross-party basis to represent all 37 English Shire Counties, which
in turn represent 48% of the population and provide services over 87% of the
land mass of
The inquiry comes at a time when the Government is working to take forward policies which empower citizens and communities, in particular through the proposals arising from the Communities in Control White Paper. In this context, the CCN believes it is important not only that communities and individuals are able to express their priorities to local government, but also that local government has sufficient powers and freedom of action to act on those priorities.
Summary · The CCN recognises that different functions and decisions are properly exercised at different levels of Government, and it is the debate around the proper role of each level which is the core of this inquiry: balancing the need for local services to be adapted to suit local circumstances with the Government's desire to implement national initiatives, and the media dread of the so-called 'postcode lottery'. · The CCN believes that the public are more widely accepting of local variation when it is the result of democratically accountable local decision-making in which they have had the opportunity to participate. · The CCN supports the positions taken by the Local Government Association in relation to the Inquiry, and would also commend the work of the Lifting the Burdens Task Force established by CLG, which is a repository of practical examples of where deregulation could enable services to be delivered in a more responsive, financially efficient way. · The CCN believes that increased freedom and flexibility for local government would be an important step towards delivering improved services in a more cost-effective way, and streamlining central control would allow national politicians to focus more strongly on key priorities.
CCN Response Local Priorities and Local Needs 1. The CCN believes that it is important to recognise the reasons for variation in public services, enabling a mature discussion to be held between central and local government about the extent to which particular services should be standardised to some degree on a national basis, and the extent to which they should be delivered in a way which takes account of differences in local needs, priorities, and resources. Undertaking this discussion could then underpin future decisions in a way which reduces the likelihood of decisions having to be taken in the glare of a media crisis.
2. The CCN therefore welcomes the direction of travel indicated by the spirit of the Concordat, the move to Comprehensive Area Assessment, the reduction of the national indicator set and the new LAA regime. This has increased the opportunity for local authorities and partners to identify from a range of central priorities those which best fit with the needs of their local area, and for local members to act as community leaders within their electoral division and to shape wider 'communities of place'. Nonetheless, the CCN remains concerned that the new arrangements need to demonstrate a reduction in the administrative burden of inspection, and about the quality of some indicators.
Delivery through Local Partnerships 3. County Councils are well placed to continue leading LAAs, as authorities holding the ring of democratic accountability, and of a sufficient scale to have strategic capacity to undertake public engagement and detailed needs analysis. The CCN would therefore argue for a minimum of prescription and central pressure in the selection of local indicators, for continued recognition of local priorities in inspection regimes, and for maximum flexibility in the choice of local delivery mechanisms. It is for this reason that the CCN has supported, for example, a strong local voice in planning, and maximum flexibility for local authorities in delivering development - including a restoration of the right of local authorities to commission affordable housing directly.
4. The duty to co-operate is also an important step forward in helping local delivery of these priorities, and will have the greatest impact in a regime in which other public sector bodies have the flexibility to act according to them and demonstrate to local people that they have done so, rather than following a rigid central model. At present, there is a great deal of variation between different public sector bodies, largely driven by the extent to which particular Whitehall departments follow a devolutionary or a centralising model.
5. The CCN would therefore argue that local government has a key role to play in shaping service delivery by other public sector actors, such as the police and healthcare providers, and the recent trend in police accountability is therefore not welcomed by CCN members, who feel strongly that local accountability is generally best exercised through existing democratic structures rather than by setting up further elected or unelected bodies. The CCN feels that the requirement for local authorities to work closely with partner organisations is not always reflected in the level of local engagement by those organisations - this is most keenly felt when those organisations are driven by central government targets outside the LAA process.
Local Government Finance 6. While the CCN feels that a greater proportion of Council revenue being raised locally would enhance democratic accountability, the politics of this are currently very challenging. The CCN would support the LGA view that Councils should have control over a broader range of revenue-raising options, including deregulation of some fees and charges which are set nationally. This would include more local discretion than currently exists under the capping regime. There is widespread support amongst CCN members for allowing some local control of revenue raised from business rates, and for a minimum of ringfencing of government grants.
7. Resource equalisation will always mean that some revenue comes from central government, and that this amount varies from authority to authority. The CCN also supports ensuring a transparent and consistent basis for resource equalisation, whether through an independent commission or another mechanism.
Sub-National Review 8. The CCN believes that particular issues around the balance of power have been raised by the sub-national review. The CCN believes that the powers and functions of Regional Assemblies should transfer to elected local government and not unelected RDAs. However, should the powers and functions transfer from regional assemblies to RDAs then the accountability arrangements must be at least as good as under the current system, and be a matter for local determination, rather than applied on a 'one size fits all' basis. The duty to prepare and agree the integrated regional strategy should be placed equally on the RDA and Local Government in the region, and strategies should be submitted to Ministers only when they are jointly agreed.
9. The CCN is concerned that this is part of a growing trend towards removing planning from democratic control. Difficult local decisions may hamper the achievement of central targets, particularly where these are in any case unrealistic. However the CCN believes that it is precisely these sort of decisions which require local debate and accountability, if Councils are to exercise their 'place-shaping' role to its full potential.
10. The CCN believes that greater freedom and flexibility for Counties to be active in all aspects of economic development will maximise the benefits gained from this activity, and that Counties are well-placed to act as leaders and convenors at the sub-regional and regional levels, working with partners such as employers, the Learning and Skills Council and its successor bodies, and others.
Conclusion This paper has been discussed by the CCN Localism
and Community Empowerment Task Group. In
developing this response we have worked closely with our member authorities and
the wider local government community.
The
September 2008 |