Draft West Midlands Combined Authority (Election of Mayor) Order 2016

Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Excerpts

Tuesday 13th September 2016 General Committees

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Percy)]

I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the draft West Midlands Combined Authority (Election of Mayor) Order 2016.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Streeter. The order was laid before the House on 30 June 2016 and, if approved, will create the position of Mayor for the West Midlands Combined Authority, with the first election being held in May 2017. It will also set the first mayoral term at three years, with the next election in 2020, and subsequent four-year terms.

The order is a milestone in the implementation of the devolution deal for the West Midlands, agreed between Government and local leaders on 17 November 2015. It follows the establishment of the West Midlands Combined Authority in June this year, which has, from that point onwards, brought together transport, economic development and regeneration functions across the West Midlands as part of the Government’s ambition and manifesto commitment to devolve more power to local communities.

The devolution agreement announced in November 2015 provided an offer of powers and budgets from Government, on the basis that the area would deliver certain reforms and measures, including adopting a directly elected Mayor covering the whole of the combined authority area. That agreement stated that the Mayor for the West Midlands would be responsible for a consolidated, devolved transport budget and franchised bus services, following the introduction of the necessary primary legislation. Those services will support the combined authority’s delivery of smart and integrated ticketing across the constituent councils—something I am sure local residents will welcome. The Mayor will also take responsibility for an identified key route network of local authority roads and for driving the delivery of housing and improvements to housing stock within the combined authority. The Mayor will, of course, work with the combined authority, which, in turn, will be responsible for the devolved funding to the West Midlands, which will be £36.5 million per year over a 30-year period—that is new money.

[Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab)]

I can see that some of the duties and responsibilities of the Mayor in relation to housing stock are useful, but I am not entirely clear about what levers the Mayor will have to implement any of this.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Percy]

I will deal directly with that point in a moment, but I just want to deal with a couple of other points that the shadow Minister raised. On the geography of the area, it is absolutely clear that the seven authorities that signed the deal are the authorities he referred to. If the non-constituent council members wish to join at a later stage, that will require the approval of those local communities, the local council and the combined authority. It will also require a further order to be laid here. We are absolutely clear that the seven authorities that originally signed the deal are the constituent councils of the authority, and they will elect the Mayor next May.

On the timing—the right hon. Member for Warley also raised that issue—the analogy between next May’s elections and the PCC elections does not follow necessarily. That election was in November and turnout was very low. I think that was because of the timing. May is the usual time for elections in this country. Although there are not elections for the constituent councils on those days, there are elections for mayors in the other areas where we are delivering devolution deals. It is a fine balance. We want to ensure that there is democratic accountability in the process. Given that the West Midlands has already received its first gain share payments, which the combined authority is responsible for with the newly elected Mayor, on balance, we have decided that next May is the best time for an election.

[Ms Stuart]

In the case of Birmingham, which is the largest authority, 2017 is the one year when it is not having local elections. We used to have one-in-three local elections. Following the Kerslake review, we will have an all-out election in 2018 on new boundaries. Therefore, 2017 is just about the worst year to have that election in Birmingham.

[Andrew Percy]

We have looked closely at the matter. There are advantages and disadvantages, but the fact remains that, unless we get the Mayor elected, we cannot confer those powers that we all want to see conferred on the Mayor. It will be a three-year term, with the following election in 2020, which I assume is not an off-year for Birmingham. It is important we get the deal in place and that we do not wait another year before we elect the Mayor.

The right hon. Lady and the right hon. Member for Warley asked what levers will be available on housing. We have been clear that those are the powers currently available to the Homes and Communities Agency. The Mayor will also be given certain powers over the planning process. It is important that we have those things established as swiftly as possible, and that will all be laid out in a further order.