Amendments relating to Combined County Authorities
Amendment 64 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour), which would seek to prove how the CCA boundaries will intersect with other boundaries, such as those of police forces and NHS trusts.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. It provides an opportunity to discuss the impact of the rollout of ICSs on the potential for future health devolution.
- Evidence from the Greater Manchester Population Health Plan update shows significant health benefits for local residents following the devolution of health and social care. This includes a substantial increase in school readiness and a smoking prevalence rate falling twice as fast as the national average.
- We would welcome further information from Government about how they envisage further devolution of health or police and crime commissioner powers working where geographies are not coterminous.
Amendment 68 tabled by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour), which would ensure regulation relating to constitutional arrangements of CCAs can only be made after consultation with the CCA.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. It ensures that changes to constitutional arrangements of a CCA would not happen without discussion with, and ideally agreement from the CCA. CCAs should not be forced to change their constitutional arrangements against their will by central government.
Amendment 73 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour), which would mean a non-constituent member ceases to be a member when they form part of a different CCA.
LGA view
- We oppose this amendment. Local areas should be able to ‘look both ways’ i.e. be a non-constituent member of more than one authority if they have close economic or cultural ties with more than one combined authority or devolution deal area.
- This amendment would also set a precedent contrary to the current plans for the City of York, which is currently a non-constituent member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, but become a full member of the new York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Amendment 76 tabled by Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour), which would mean that a CCA can request regulations are introduced in relation to them.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. It gives CCAs greater flexibility and ability to ask Government to vary their constitutional arrangements based on what works best at a local level.
Two amendments (77 and 79) tabled by LGA Vice-President Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat), that would ensure that the CCA cannot refuse to publish a report of an overview and scrutiny committee and this would prevent a CCA from restricting the work of an overview and scrutiny committee without good reason.
LGA view
- We support these amendments. They empower overview and scrutiny committees to effectively scrutinise the work of CCAs, and prevent a CCA from refusing to publish or refusing to allow an overview and scrutiny committee to carry out their work.
Amendment 87 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour), which would seek ensure that a CCA may request that the Secretary of State publishes an assessment of their funding, including in relation to any new functions.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. We support the transfer of powers from central government to local leaders, but these powers must be accompanied by appropriate funding levels, and devolution should not be used as an excuse to reducing funding for services. This amendment would ensure that an assessment can be made and published of the funding of new functions that have been devolved – although we would prefer it if this was independent, rather than carried out by the Secretary of State.
Amendment 88 tabled by Baroness Hayman (Labour), meaning that regulations can only be made with a majority of members of the constituent councils.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. Changes to the governance of local areas should be locally led, with consensus from across all parts of the area wherever possible. We support this amendment as it means that changes to local authority functions must have the support of the majority of members of the constituents, indicating widespread agreement about the proposal.
Amendment 103 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour), to probe the possibility of Mayoral by-elections.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. The Bill currently lacks clarity on what would happen in the extent that a CCA Mayor resigned or left office for any reason, and this amendment would provide some welcome clarity.
Amendment 115 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour). Clause 27, page 22, line 16, at end insert – “(4A) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as to the scrutiny of deputy mayor appointments.”
LGA view
- We support this amendment. This gives greater power to combined authority members to hold the Mayor and the Mayor’s choice of Deputy Mayor to account.
Amendment tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour). This amendment would require public consultation to take place before the amendment of a CCA area.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. Similarly, as public consultation is required before the establishment of a CCA, it should also be required before dissolving the CCA. We support greater engagement with the public around changes of governance.
Amendment 116 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour) would mean the Secretary of State must publish a statement confirming what additional funds will be made available to a Mayor when making regulations under this section.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. We support the transfer of powers from central government to local leaders including CCA Mayors, but these powers must be accompanied by appropriate funding levels, and devolution should not be used as an excuse to reducing funding for services. This amendment would ensure that the Secretary of State would have to confirm what funding was allocated along with the powers being conferred.
Amendment 130 tabled by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour) to probe whether the public will be informed of their CCA’s functions.
LGA view
- We support this amendment. We support greater engagement with the public around changes of governance, and this amendment would require the government to publish guidance explaining to residents of the new CCA what the role of the combined authority would be.