House of Commons - Prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government

Political and Constitutional Reform - Third Report
Prospects for codifying the relationship between central and local government

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 17 December 2012.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Summary

1 Introduction

2 The rationale for codification: next steps beyond localism

Failure of non-statutory options

The regional government option

City Deals

Greater financial independence for local government

Statutory protection for local government in other countries

3 The content of the code

Amendments to the code

4 A new relationship

Rebalancing the relationship

Appetite for the code

5 Financing greater local autonomy

Tax transparency

Other local revenue

Local government share of tax in other mature democracies

Equalisation safeguarded

6 A degree of permanence

Statute

A double-lock

A Joint Committee on Local Government

7 Next steps

A cultural shift

Further dialogue

Conclusions and recommendations

Appendix: Illustrative draft code for central and local government

Annex: What does the code mean for me?

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of written evidence from Session 2012-13

List of written evidence from Session 2010-12

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

Oral and written evidence

Thursday 18 November 2010: Roger Gough, Councillor, Kent County Council; Professor George Jones OBE, Emeritus Professor of Government, London School of Economics and Professor John Stewart, Emeritus Professor of Local Government and Administration, University of Birmingham

Thursday 25 November 2010: Professor Tony Travers, Department of Government, London School of Economics and Sir Simon Jenkins, journalist and author

Thursday 2 December 2010: Sir Merrick Cockell, Leader, Kensington and Chelsea Council, Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney and Chair, London Councils, Lord Bichard and Baroness Eaton, Chairman, Local Government Association

Thursday 9 December 2010: Sir Howard Bernstein, Chief Executive, Manchester City Council, Andrea Hill, Chief Executive, Suffolk County Council and Stephen Hughes, Chief Executive, Birmingham City Council

Thursday 16 December 2010: Dr Bill Moyes, Institute for Government and Jessica Crowe, Centre for Public Scrutiny; Simon Parker, New Local Government Network, Jessica Crowe, Centre for Public Scrutiny and Sir Simon Milton, Greater London Authority

Thursday 20 January 2011: Mr Clive Betts MP, Chair, Community and Local Government Committee

Additional written evidence (Volume III)

Additional written evidence (Volume IV)