Graham Allen
Main Page: Graham Allen (Labour - Nottingham North)(12 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Greg Clark
There is recognition that whatever the intentions behind the regional agencies, whether RDAs or regional arrangements more generally, they had become instruments—or, as it were, embassies—of Whitehall in the country. Our preferred approach is to devolve powers to cities so that they can revive their reputation of being able to determine their own future and stand proudly in the world as beacons of investment.
Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North) (Lab)
As Chair of the Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform, I strongly welcome the principle and philosophy behind today’s announcement and the co-operation with the core cities in moving the proposals forward. All parties should ensure that they are on the right side of the ambition of local government for greater independence. Is the Minister aware that local government in this country is one of the few in any of the western democracies to remain a creature of statute? Will he consider pushing localism much further towards genuine independence, as is enjoyed in other western democracies? The Local Government Association is currently looking at that and might well campaign on it in the new year.
Greg Clark
I commend the work of the hon. Gentleman and his Committee. He is right that we want to improve the standing of local government and its ability to be recognised as having—in effect—a constitutional significance that cannot simply be brushed aside. As he will know, our reforms in the Localism Act 2011 move considerably in that direction to establish a general power of competence for local government, so that it no longer exists to do those things that it is told to do by Parliament and central Government. Instead, the default should be the other way around: councils should be able to do things unless they are explicitly prevented from doing them by Parliament. The Act is a huge step in that direction, but I look forward to the report from the hon. Gentleman’s Committee—it will be taken very seriously in the Government.