Memorandum by 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 England.
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 CCN is keen to remain fully engaged
in this agenda, and provide the Committee with the views and experience
of our member authorities. We would be happy to discuss any of
the points made in further detail.
September 2008
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