London Councils welcomes calls to devolve more powers to boroughs

London Councils Release 20 May 2009

Calls from the Select Committee on Communities and Local Government to devolve more powers to local authorities have been backed by London Councils.

The Committee's report, The Balance of Power: Central and Local Government, looks at the need for councils to deliver more effective and locally accountable services. It also looks at the reforms that would be needed to shift the balance of power from central to local government.

In its key recommendations, the Committee has accepted many of the calls made in evidence to it by London Councils Chairman, Councillor Merrick Cockell. These include:

* giving more local accountability for policing and health by devolving budgets to councils to enable boroughs to commission services needed by their local communities

* a change in culture at a ministerial level, across the civil service and in Parliament, to establish a higher threshold before the government intervenes in locally agreed targets

* reforming the local government finance system to enable boroughs to raise their own funding, rather than having to rely heavily on resources from central government.

Cllr Cockell said: "If councils and other local public services are going to be able to provide the services that our local communities are crying out for, rather than having to deliver to a nationally set agenda, then we must shift the balance of power.

"This is going to be a huge challenge but some simple steps can help local government to stop looking upwards to Whitehall and look outwards to the public it serves instead.

"London boroughs are continually striving to find new and innovative ways of improving the services they provide and helping to encourage their local communities to get more involved in the decisions impacting on their lives.

"I am delighted that the Committee has listened to the common sense suggestions made by London Councils. This is not the end of the story - the challenge is now for the government to pick up the gauntlet and act on the proposals. We would be delighted to work with them on this and take the issues forward."