Local Government Flashcards
What are the two main types of local authorities created by the 1972 Local Government Act in some parts of England?
The 1972 Local Government Act created county (or shire) councils and smaller district or borough councils.
What are county councils generally responsible for in a two-tier system?
County councils are generally responsible for education, social services, transport, libraries and museums, waste disposal, and strategic, county-wide planning (mainly waste disposal and mineral extraction).
What are district or borough councils generally responsible for in a two-tier system?
District or borough councils are generally responsible for housing, refuse collection, planning (housing estates, house extensions, new supermarkets etc.), collection of council tax and uniform business rates (UBR), environmental health (inspection of food premises etc.).
What are unitary authorities and what happened to metropolitan county councils?
Unitary authorities are responsible for all services in an area. Metropolitan county councils in urban conurbations like South Yorkshire were abolished in 1986 and replaced with unitary authorities.
What is a parish council responsible for and how does it raise money?
Parish councils are responsible for things like playground equipment, public toilets, park benches, streetlights, and footpaths. They raise money through the parish precept on council taxes.
How does the local government structure in London differ from the rest of the country?
London has a directly elected Mayor and a directly elected London Assembly forming the Greater London Authority responsible for services like policing and transport, with 32 borough councils (plus the City of London Corporation) acting as unitary authorities below this.
What is the difference between councillors and officers in local government?
Councillors are elected political figures who decide on policy, while officers are the paid, politically neutral civil service of the local authority who implement that policy.
What are the two main ways local authorities can take decisions?
The two main ways are the Committee System, where committees of councillors consider policy, and the Leader and Cabinet System, where the Leader or Directly Elected Mayor chooses a Cabinet to make executive decisions.
What is the purpose of Scrutiny Committees in the Leader and Cabinet System?
Scrutiny Committees, made up of councillors not in the Cabinet, oversee and scrutinise decision-making.
What did the Localism Act 2011 aim to do?
The Localism Act 2011 aimed to shift power away from central government and towards local people, giving new freedoms and powers to local government, communities, and individuals, including a ‘general power of competence’.
What was the Northern Powerhouse initiative?
The Northern Powerhouse was a government proposal in 2014 to boost economic growth in the north of England.
How did the Northern Powerhouse initiative relate to local government?
It involved devolving more power to the regions through directly elected mayors and combined authorities, with Greater Manchester being the first to receive extra powers.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) also signed an agreement and received extra powers and funding.
What is the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and what are its responsibilities?
SYMCA consists of the four local authority areas of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley, led by a directly elected metro mayor. It has extra powers over transport and strategic planning.
How are Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) involved in local oversight of the police?
Directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) replaced Police Authorities in 2012, and they can appoint and dismiss chief constables, direct local policing priorities, and ensure value for money.
They are scrutinised by Police and Crime Panels of local councillors.
How are Fire and Rescue Services often overseen at a local level?
In many areas, Combined Fire Authorities have been formed, with councillors from the constituent authorities providing democratic oversight of the fire service, such as the South Yorkshire Fire Authority.
What key role do local authorities play in the planning process?
Local authorities have a key role in long-term development planning (ensuring sufficient infrastructure) and development control (deciding on planning applications).
Where does local government revenue come from?
Local government revenue comes from government grants, council tax, business rates, council house rental income, other charges and fees, and reserves.
What are the two main types of government grants for local councils?
The two main types are general grants (formula grants) which councils can spend as they like, and grants for specific purposes (non-formula grants) where central government decides how the money should be used.
How is council tax calculated and who collects it?
Council tax is a property tax with a personal element, based on a notional property value from 1991, with households taxed according to bands A-H. It is collected by the billing authority (district councils in two-tier areas and unitary authorities), and precepting authorities can claim some of the money.
What is the system of ‘directly elected mayors’ in local government?
Introduced by the Local Government Act 2000, Directly Elected Mayors (DEM) are powerful, executive-style positions with more real power than ceremonial mayors.
What is ‘devolution’ in the context of UK government?
Devolution is the transfer of powers and funding to devolved authorities, such as combined authorities headed by metro mayors, rather than just reorganising powers between existing councils.
What are some of the financial pressures currently facing local councils in England?
These include more demand for services (especially social care and SEND), cuts in central government grants, “reckless” spending, rises in the National Living Wage and national insurance contributions, and rising energy costs.
What are ‘capital spending’ and ‘revenue spending’ for local councils?
Capital spending covers big building projects, while revenue spending covers the day-to-day running costs of these projects and the general delivery of services.
What options do councils have for raising capital spending?
These include capital grants from central government or combined authorities, capital receipts from selling assets, receipts from the sale of right-to-buy properties, borrowing, and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) / Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
