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This page outlines devolution deals that have been secured to date. You can also find more details on the content of these deals by using the Devolution Register.
When: June 2016
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes specific funding for housing, with the Mayor responsible for a £100m housing and infrastructure fund, and the combined authority having control over a ring-fenced £70m to meet housing needs. The Combined Authority will also have control of a new additional £20million a year funding allocation over 30 years, to be invested to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Single Investment Fund, to boost growth.
The Mayor will have a number of powers under the deal, including responsibility of a multi-year, consolidated transport budget, an identified Key Route network of local authority roads and strategic planning powers. The Combined Authority, working with the Mayor, will receive powers including responsibility for chairing a review of 16+ skills provision, devolved adult skills funding from 2018-19 and joint responsibility with Government and other local partner organisations to co-design the new National Work and Health Programme designed to focus on those with a health condition or disability and the very long term unemployed.
When: July 2015
Governance: Cornwall Council and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership
The deal includes devolved powers for franchising bus services, joint working to re-shape further education training and learning provision for adults and the development of new apprenticeship opportunities. The deal also gives Cornwall Intermediate Body status for two European Union structural funds and sees the integration of local and national business support services. Government has committed to work with Cornwall on proposals for a low carbon enterprise zone as well as other energy initiatives, the creation a Cornish Heritage Environment Forum and matters relating to the public estate. Local health organisations are invited, as part of the deal, to produce a business plan for the integration of health and social care services.
First deal agreement: November 2014
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes a devolved and consolidated transport budget, responsibility for franchised bus services and integrated smart ticketing across all local modes of transport, as well as exploring opportunities for devolving rail stations across the GMCA area. The deal also includes powers over strategic planning, control of a new £300 million Housing Investment Fund, a reformed earn back deal and agrees for the mayor of GMCA to take on the role of Police and Crime Commissioner. Responsibility for devolved business support budgets, control of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers and power to reshape Further Education (FE) provision are also included, as is control of an expanded Working Well pilot and joint commissioning arrangements with DWP for the Work Programme. GMCA and Greater Manchester CCGs, as part of the deal, have been invited to develop a business plan for the integration of health and social care across Greater Manchester.
Subsequent expansions of deal: July 2015
Following the initial deal in 2014, Greater Manchester and NHS England signed up to arrangements to bring together £6 billion of NHS and social care budgets so that joint planning of these services deliver better care for patients. In addition, the March 2015 Budget announced a pilot scheme in Greater Manchester and Cheshire East to enable the retention of 100% of any additional business rate growth.
Subsequent expansions of deal: November 2015
Further devolution to GMCA was announced as part of the Spending Review. Details include a commitment from Government to consider how regulatory reform can support local housing and public service reform aspirations, the power to implement a Community Infrastructure Levy and the development of a business case for a Land Programme. It also sets out that the Infrastructure Commission will provide advice on investment priorities for the North, transparency commitments pertaining to the funding of franchised bus services and agreement to consider proposals for a joint investment platform to improve the area's highways network. Subject to legislation, the Mayor will have the power to introduce a Business Rates Supplement, and GMCA will agree a MOU with the British Business Bank setting out how they will work together to support SMEs. The deal also outlines considerations for the establishment of a Public Service Reform Investment Fund and how Government will support GMCA to develop and implement an integrated approach to preventative services for children and young people. GMCA will carry out an analysis of all post-19 skills provision. The deal commits to discussion on further areas for co-operation and grants that GMCA will gain Intermediate Body status.
Subsequent expansions of deal: March 2016
- To bring together funding from the Troubled Families Programme, Working Well pilot; Cabinet Office Life Chances Fund into a Life Chances Investment Fund
- Work with the Government and PCC on joint commissioning of offender management services, youth justice and services for youth offenders, the courts and prisons estates, 'sobriety tagging', and custody budgets.
- The Government will enable local commissioning of outcomes to be achieved from the adult education budget starting in academic year 2016/17; and will fully devolve budgets to the Combined Authority from academic year 2018/19. These arrangements do not cover apprenticeships.
- Government committing to review its approach to national housing programmes so as not to hinder Greater Manchester from delivering its innovative housing objectives. GMCA will pilot 100% retention of business rates as of 1 April 2017.
- The GMCA also intends to absorb the Manchester joint waste disposal authority.
Further clarification of Justice element of March 2016 deal: July 2016
An agreement on devolution of powers associated with the justice system in Greater Manchester
- The use of "problem-solving courts"; Creation of "new models of secure schools for under-18s";
- Integration of youth support;
- Autonomy for prison governors, including over rehabilitation and education;
- A role in the commissioning of offender management services;
- Better co-ordination with mental health and substance misuse services, and better use of offenders' skills;
- More influence over the Manchester Community Rehabilitation Company and over probation.
Full deal details
Further commitments, Autumn Budget November 2017
At the Autumn Budget 2017 the Government and Greater Manchester agreed new commitments to further strengthen joint working and support devolution. This included working together to develop a local industrial strategy, explore future transport funding and develop a trade and investment plan. Greater Manchester also received £243 million from the Transforming Cities Fund for transport investment.
When: November 2015
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes devolved responsibility for a consolidated transport budget with a multi-year settlement, responsibility for franchised bus services and powers over strategic planning, including the creation of new Mayoral Development Corporation. LCR will also create a Single Investment Fund that draws together city region and agreed national funding streams, to which central government will allocate an additional £30 million a year funding over 30 years to unlock economic potential in the region. Further components of the deal include new responsibilities and devolved arrangements for skills provision, a commitment to work towards a devolved approach to business support and a stated partnership approach with Government on innovation, energy and National Museums Liverpool.
Subsequent expansion of deal: March 2016
This gives Liverpool additional new powers over transport, pilots the approach to 100% business rate retention across the city region, as well as agreeing further commitments for the City Region and Government to work together on children's services, health, housing and justice.
Potential expansion of deal: November 2017
The Government announced in the 2017 Autumn Budget that it would enter into discussions with the Liverpool City Region to explore scope for further devolution to the area.
When: December 2015
Governance: A London Health and Social Care Devolution Programme Board established for January 2016, accounting to the London Health Board
The deal sets out a collective agreement by London and National Partners to transform health and wellbeing outcomes, inequalities and services in London through new
ways of working together and with the public. It includes devolution of funding and commissioning powers, additional fiscal and regulatory powers, licensing and employment support, changes to governance and regulation, joint capital strategic planning, joint workforce strategic planning, involvement of London partners in the development of new payment mechanisms and full involvement of London partners in decisions about provider performance.
Subsequent expansion of deal: March 2017
The Spring Budget 2017 announced a Memorandum of Understanding on further devolution to London covering construction, infrastructure funding, business rates, criminal justice and a number of other areas. As part of the document, the Government committed to working with national organisations and London partners to agree a second Memorandum of Understanding focusing on health devolution to London.
Subsequent expansion of deal: November 2017
In November 2017, a health and social care devolution deal for London was announced. The deal includes commitments relating to NHS capital assets and estates, commissioning budgets and payment mechanisms, and the health and care workforce in London.
When: November 2018
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes control of a £20million a year revenue funding allocation (over 30 years), devolution of the Adult Education Budget to allow North of Tyne to shape local skills provision to respond to local needs, and powers to acquire and dispose of land.
A statutory Joint Committee was established to exercise transport functions jointly on behalf of the North of Tyne and North East Combined Authorities.
When: December 2014
Governance: combined authority and the Local Economic Partnership
The deal covers a range of themes including devolved responsibilities for adult skills funding and provision, joint working with Government on employment to ensure their work joins up with the local skills and training offer, and establishment a more flexible and responsive business support system. As part of the deal, Government will explore options to give South Yorkshire (then Sheffield City Region) more control over the delivery of local transport schemes, particularly in preparation for HS2, and the local authorities within the region will form a Joint Assets Board with the Homes and Communities Agency to influence asset disposals in a way that supports the local economy.
Subsequent deal: October 2015
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The second deal to South Yorkshire grants the Mayor responsibility for a consolidated, devolved transport budget with a multi-year settlement, responsibility for franchised bus services and responsibility for an identified Key Route Network of local authority roads. The deal also grants the Mayor devolved powers over strategic planning. The combined authority, working with the Mayor, gains control of a new additional £30 million a year funding allocation over 30 years, responsibility for chairing an area based review of 16+ skills provision and devolved 19+ adult skills funding from 2018/19.
The deal also outlines a joint responsibility with Government to co-design employment support for harder-to-help claimants and to develop and implement a devolved approach to the delivery of national business support programmes. The combined authority and Government will also work together on the development of the South Yorkshire Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, a City Region led proposal to undertake a Science and Innovation audit and a national Institute for Infrastructure within Doncaster.
When: October 2015
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes devolved responsibility for a consolidated transport budget, as well as creation of new Mayoral Development Corporations and leadership of a land commission to examine what publicly owned land and other key strategic sites should be vested in the development corporation. It also includes creation of a Tees Valley Investment Fund. Further components of the deal include control of a new £15 million a year funding allocation (over 30 years), a comprehensive review and redesign of the education, skills and employment support system in the region and responsibility for a devolved approach to business support from 2017, to be developed in partnership with Government.
Potential expansion of deal: November 2017
The Government announced in the 2017 Autumn Budget that it would enter into discussions with the Tees Valley to explore scope for further devolution to the area.
When: March 2016
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes devolved powers for franchising bus services, strategic planning and responsibility for a new Key Route Network of local authority roads. Funding to be devolved includes a devolved local transport budget, an additional £30million year to boost growth and responsibility for the 19+ adult education budget, which will be devolved from the 2018-19 academic year. The Combined Authority will have joint responsibility with the Government to co-design the new National Work and Health Programme designed to focus on those with a health condition or disability and the very long term unemployed.
In addition to this, the Government committed to working with the combined authority on trade and investment services, realising the economic potential of specific local areas, and agreeing specific funding flexibilities with the joint ambition to be giving the Combined Authority a single pot to invest in its economic growth.
When: November 2015
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal includes devolved responsibility for a consolidated transport budget with a multi-year settlement, responsibility for franchised bus services, and full devolution of the 19+ adult skills budget from 2018/19. The proposed combined authority will also establish a West Midlands Investment Fund bringing together resources for economic growth, skills and employability, regeneration, transport and housing, to which central government will allocate an additional £36 million a year funding over 30 years. Further components of the deal include devolution of business support programmes and commitments to explore greater data-sharing to support public service reform.
Subsequent expansion of deal: November 2017
The Autumn Budget 2017 announced that the Government had agreed a devolution deal in principle with the West Midlands Mayor and Combined Authority to address local productivity barriers. This included £6million for a housing delivery taskforce, £5million for a construction skills training scheme and a £250million allocation from the Transforming Cities Fund to be spent on local intra-city transport priorities.
When: March 2020
Governance: combined authority with a new directly elected mayor
The deal grants West Yorkshire £38 million a year (for 30 years) for the West Yorkshire Investment Fund (with a 25 per cent/75 per cent capital/revenue split) and funding to support the development of projects such as a British Library North in Leeds and regeneration opportunities in Bradford City Centre from Northern Powerhouse Rail. It also gives the combined authority control of the £65 million annual Adult Education Budget to align skills to the opportunities and needs of the local economy.
The Government has committed to work with West Yorkshire to develop a modern mass-transit system through access to a new five-year integrated transport settlement, access to bus franchising powers and £317 million from the Transforming Cities Fund to improve access to public transport, cycling and walking.
The first directly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire was elected in May 2021. Policing and crime powers have been transferred to the combined authority from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Highlighted pages
Devolution deal to delivery
A guide to help councils navigate devolution deals, with a particular focus on understanding the lessons from developing a deal to delivering it.
Devolution deals
An outline of the current devolution deals that have been agreed between Government and local areas.
Devolution Register
The Devolution Register provides an overview of what powers and responsibilities areas have been able to achieve. Areas planning for any future negotiations with government may find this helpful.