Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has said that the government should examine the case for devolving greater powers over services including health, housing, planning and education.
A new report by the committee calls on devolution to be extended not only to combined authorities but local government more widely, and to both rural and urban areas. To achieve this successfully, MPs say that the government should bring forward a devolution framework which emphasises that devolution should be the default option, and also consider adopting the model for devolved nations, where there is a list of reserved powers and all other powers are available for devolution.
MPs stress that financial devolution is necessary to ensure the success of devolution. To help boost the financial resilience of councils and reduce the reliance on council tax and business rates, the report recommends the government explore alternative revenue raising options for local councils. The report recommends the government commission research into options for allocating income tax or other national tax revenue at the local level, or how a local income tax across a combined authority area could work. It also recommends that the government look at potential devolution of a ‘tourism tax’.
The paper advocates greater devolution of powers in public policy areas including health, education and skills, housing and planning, and transport and infrastructure. The report also includes recommendations relating to widening the geography of devolution by going beyond urban areas; and also on scrutiny arrangements and oversight of combined authorities.
Clive Betts, chair of the committee, said: “Michael Gove, as the new Secretary of State, should the seize the opportunity to vigorously drive forward devolution across England and help boost the provision of public services in cities and regions. Across Whitehall, government needs to be more positive and proactive in delivering devolution. On this path, the government should work with local government to produce a devolution framework in which devolution is the default option. Devolution also needs to involve local people. The local public should be consulted on whether devolution should include having a directly elected mayor.
“Financial devolution is crucial to the future success of devolution. The government should examine the options for fiscal devolution, giving local authorities greater freedom and enabling them to be take longer-term decisions for their communities and be more accountable to their electorates.”
Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
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