Book Description

The Government has announced a 'devolution revolution', transferring powers and opportunities to local government through a series of 'devolution deals'. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill gives statutory authority to deals and enables some of the specific reforms the Government wishes to make, such as introducing directly-elected mayors for combined authorities. This inquiry set out to examine the contents of the Bill and, in particular, whether Greater Manchester's deal is a model for other areas, but its scope quickly widened to a review of the way in which devolution in England is proceeding. The Committee has identified various aspects of the current approach that it recommends are refined and improved. The Committee has found a significant lack of public consultation and engagement at all stages in the devolution process. The public should be engaged in the preparation of devolution proposals, insofar as possible during the negotiations and once the results of a deal have begun to make an impact, and communicated to throughout the process. This is particularly the case for health devolution where the systems in place are complex, changes are consequently more difficult to understand and the public's response is likely to be more emotional. The Committee also believes that the Government's approach to devolution in practice has lacked rigour as to process: there are no clear, measurable objectives for devolution; It suggests various ways in which proper process can be ensured.