Asked by: Lord Heseltine (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the devolution of powers to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, which powers, if any, have been devolved to other Metro Mayors since December 2019.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In January 2020, Sheffield City Region Combined Authority took the decision to progress their stalled devolution deal, previously agreed in 2015. In July 2020 The Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority (Functions and Amendment) Order 2020 was approved by Parliament and made, conferring on the Combined Authority the powers agreed in this deal, including powers on planning, education and transport powers.
In March 2020, a West Yorkshire devolution deal was agreed and announced by the Chancellor at Budget. In January 2021 The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Election of Mayor and Functions) Order 2021 was approved by Parliament and made, establishing a directly elected Mayor for West Yorkshire to be first elected in May 2021, conferring on the Combined Authority powers on housing, regeneration, education and transport, and providing that the West Yorkshire Mayor will take on the functions of Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire.
Full details on the powers conferred on these Combined Authorities and their mayors are set out in the explanatory memoranda.
Asked by: Lord Heseltine (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their devolution white paper.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Levelling up all areas of the country remains at the centre of government’s agenda. We want to devolve and decentralise to give more power to local communities, providing an opportunity for all places to level up. That is why we intend to bring forward the Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper in due course. This will cover how the UK government will partner with places across the UK to build a sustainable economic recovery and set out our plans for future devolution arrangements.