LGIU Response: Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), said:

“The government promised to codify, simplify and speed up the devolution process and the measures set out in this Bill largely deliver on that.

A clearer devolution framework, a “lock in” of transferred powers and a duty to collaborate with – and a right to request collaboration from – other mayors are all helpful.

This Bill improves the process for devolution as it currently exists but the jury is still out on whether it enables a significant deepening of devolution which remains in our view the real prize.

There’s no real fiscal devolution in what we’re seeing today. There’s no real clarity on how coterminosity with other public service geographies is to be achieved. There’s no detail on how Strategic Authorities will work with new unitaries to push public service reform. And there’s no recognition of the importance of councils in delivering all this

Devolution to the English regions has been a long and torturous journey. This is a positive step along the road but it’s not mission accomplished.”