Local Government structure Flashcards
What did the 1972 Local Government Act create? Does this structure still exist?
Two-tier local authorities. In some parts of England, yes
What does the two-tier system consist of?
County Councils and within these, smaller district or borough councils.
Which 6 areas are county councils responsible for?
- Education
- Social services (e.g. child protection and care for the elderly)
- Transport
- Libraries and museums
- Waste disposal
- Strategic, county-wide planning (mainly waste disposal and mineral extraction)
Which 5 areas are district/borough councils 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.)
How are two tier authority councils elected and run? (Overview)
Local residents elect councillors. They each have their own budgets and run their own affairs.
What is a unitary authority?
They are responsible for all the services in the area and replaced the system of ‘metropolitan’ county councils and smaller district councils in the main urban conurbations of England. These were abolished in 1986 and replaced with unitary authorities.
(Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster are all unitary authorities. There is no such thing as South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council any more.)
What is a hybrid structure?
Where unitary authorities exist alongside two-tier authorities (for example York is a unitary authority working alongside North Yorkshire county council, which is a two-tier authority).
What are town councils sometimes known as?
Parish Councils
How do parish councils raise money?
By the parish precept on council taxes
What are parish councils responsible for?
Playground equipment, public toilets, park benches, streetlights, footpaths etc.
What are are parish councils’ rights in relation to major planning applications?
They have a right to be consulted
What is the governing body of London called?
The Greater London Authority
Who is directly elected to run the GLA?
A mayor and 25 members of the London Assembly
What is the GLA responsible for?
Policing, transport, fire and rescue services and the congestion charge
What are the bodies that sit below the GLA and what are they responsible for?
32 borough councils (plus the City of London Corporation) which act as unitary authorities providing services such as education, refuse collection, social services, housing and planning
In local government who are officers?
Paid civil service of the local authority and should be politically neutral.
Who are councillors?
Political figures required to stand for election every four years.
They decide on policy and officers implement that policy.
Who is the Leader of the Council?
An elected councillor who is the head of the governing party
Who is the Chief Executive?
The senior officer who leads the entire “paid service”
Who heads each department?
A lead councillor and a senior officer
Are councillors paid?
No but they can claim a Basic Allowance plus a Special Responsibility Allowance if they take on extra duties
What are the two main ways decisions are taken by local authorities?
Committee system and leader and cabinet system
How does the committee system work and where do policy proposals go for final approval?
It consists of a number of committees and subcommittees of elected councillors covering each main area of policy.
Policy proposals are considered by the committee and then, if approved, passed to a meeting of all the councillors – the Full Council – for final approval
How does the leader and cabinet system work?
It consists of the Leader of the Council or Directly Elected Mayor who chooses councillors to sit in the Cabinet and act as an executive, often taking decisions without consulting the majority of councillors. (Introduced under the Local Government Act of 2000).
What is a scrutiny committee and what does it do?
Scrutiny Committees are responsible for reviewing the decisions made by the Council’s Cabinet and Executive Officers. They can make comments and suggest amendments, but the Full Council only approves key decisions – that is those incurring significant expenditure
What is the main pro of the leader and cabinet system?
It’s said to be quicker and more efficient and bypasses the cumbersome committee system
What is the main con of the leader and cabinet system?
Some say it is less democratic and creates two classes of councillor – those in the Cabinet who have executive power and those who are effectively ‘backbenchers’ who have little power or say.
When was the idea of Directly Elected Mayors (DEM) introduced and what do they do?
In the Local Government Act 2000.
These are powerful, executive style positions and shouldn’t be confused with Lord Mayors and other ceremonial mayors who raise money for charity and attend civil functions but who have little real power
What does the Localism Act 2011 broadly set out in relation to local government? (2 main things)
A series of measures designed to shift power away from central government and towards local people.
The Act gives new freedoms and powers for local government, communities and individuals.
It includes a reform of the planning system to make it more democratic and effective.
The Act also established a ‘general power of competence’ - what is this and who does it apply to?
It applies to all local authorities, including parish, district, county and unitary authorities.
It means that instead of being able to act only where the law says they can, local authorities are free to do anything an individual can do - provided they do not break other laws.
What is the main idea behind ‘general power of competence’?
To cut red tape and encourage more entrepreneurial thinking. The Act, for example, encourages councils to work together to drive down costs and do innovative things to meet local people’s needs.
What is the main aim of the Northern Powerhouse, proposed in 2014?
To boost economic growth in the north of England
What was the first area to gain extra powers and what were they?
Greater Manchester the first area to get extra powers over housing, transport, planning, policing and some health spending
When did Sheffield join the Northern Powerhouse scheme and what is it called? Which areas does it consist of?
In October 2015.
It is now the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority consists of four local authority areas – Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley.
Which extra powers does the SYMCA get and how much extra money does it receive?
It gets extra powers over transport and strategic planning
It gets £30m extra a year for 30 years = £900m
What type of authority is Sheffield City Council?
A unitary authority
What are the 28 geographical areas the city is divided into known as?
Wards
How many councillors represent each ward?
Three
How many councillors are required to win a majority?
43
Does Sheffield CC have a majority currently?
No, it is under No Overall Control, so Labour is running a minority administration.
How long is a term of office?
4 years
What is the election pattern for councillors?
One third of councillors come up for election each year and the fourth year is a “fallow year” without elections to the city council
Under what does the police service operate?
The Home Secretary as it is a national service.
What replaced Police Authorities in November 2012 and how does it operate?
Directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC), who can appoint and dismiss chief constables, direct local policing priorities through a five year police plan and ensure value for money. They are elected for a four-year term.
Who are PCCs scrutinised by?
By Police and Crime Panels, consisting of local councillors, who can veto the PCC proposals for the police precept and the appointment of chief constables.
Who handles serious complaints about the police?
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (for example deaths in custody or at the hands of police officers)
How is the PCC funded?
By a precept on the council tax
Which bodies provide democratic oversight of the fire service in many areas?
Combined Fire Authorities
Who sits on mayoral combined authorities?
Councillors from the constituent authorities – for example councillors from Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster
How are they funded?
By a precept on the council tax
Who provides democratic oversight of transport in many large urban areas?
Joint boards. For example the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, including the elected heads from the four unitary authorities in South Yorkshire, plus Bolsover, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bassetlaw and the Derbyshire Dales and oversees transport in the region.
Who usually provides transport in rural areas?
The county or shire council. For example North Yorkshire County Council is the transport authority for North Yorkshire.
What became the first sub national transport body in England in April 2018?
Transport for the North
What is the Northern Powerhouse backed by?
56 local authorities and 19 combined transport authorities across the north of England
How does TfN interact with central government?
Government must take into consideration TfN’s recommendations
What is TfN in the process of creating?
A new rail network – Northern Powerhouse Rail
What is the main difference between Transport for London and Transport for the North?
TfN cannot generate its own income
