Local government

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on local government. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
28.02.2013Local, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and European Parliament elections: Social Indicators page
Local, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and European Parliament elections: Social Indicators page. A summary of recent election results.
19.02.2013Tax increment financing
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced on 20 September 2010 that the Coalition Government would allow local authorities to use tax increment financing (TIF) in order to finance infrastructure projects. This would be implemented by the Local Government Finance Bill 2010-12, which is currently awaiting report stage in the House of Commons.
19.02.2013Parish councils: creation and abolition
This note describes the procedures for creating and abolishing parish councils.
15.02.2013Community budgets and city deals
There have been many recent initiatives to join up or pool budgets between local authorities and other public sector bodies. These have taken various forms since the early 1990s. The latest iteration is a series of pilots of 'community budgets', taking place in fourteen neighbourhoods (within ten different local authorities) and in four 'whole place' areas across local authorities.
13.02.2013The local government resource review
The local government resource review, instituted by the Coalition Government, examined different ways of giving English local authorities greater autonomy and financial freedom. The terms of reference to the first stage of the review were published on 17 March 2011, and those for the second phase on 29 June 2011.

Research Papers

DateDescription
08.02.2013The Local Government Finance Settlement 2013/14 and 2014/15
The Local Government Financial Settlement is to be debated in the House on 13 February 2013. Start-up funding assessments for non-police local authorities will fall by 4.1% in 2013/14.
13.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/61 prepared for Commons Second Reading
01.11.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill
The Growth and Infrastructure Bill seeks to reduce delays in the planning system and to facilitate new development, through various means. It would allow planning obligations (section 106 agreements) relating to affordable housing to be renegotiated. To promote economic growth, it makes provision for a planned revaluation of business rates in England to be postponed and to create a new employment status of employee owner. Its second reading date has been moved from 30 October to 5 November 2012.
03.10.2012Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the Public Bill Committee Stage of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill. It is designed to complement the Research Paper Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill (RP 12/33), which covers in more detail the background to the Bill
07.08.2012UK Election Statistics: 1918-2012
This paper presents an overview of results from UK elections since 1918, including elections to the House of Commons, the European Parliament, devolved bodies and local government.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
16.01.2012Government response to the fifth report of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee on
Government response. Communities and Local Government Select Committee report [Commons]
17.10.2011Audit and inspection of local authorities.
Government response. Communities and Local Government report [Commons]
17.09.2011Localism.
Communities and Local Government report [Commons]
27.06.2011Audit and inspection of local authorities.
Communities and Local Government Select Committee report [Commons]
23.06.2011The abolition of regional spatial strategies: a planning vacuum.
Government response. Communities and Local Government report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
12.12.2011TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PRESENTATION OF A PETITION FOR A CORNISH ASSEMBLY
That this House notes that 10 years have passed since the presentation of a petition with 50,000 signatures in favour of a Cornish Assembly to 10 Downing Street on 12 December 2001 ...
14.11.2011ACTIONS OF BASILDON COUNCIL IN RESPECT OF RICHARD HOWITT MEP
That this House notes with concern the forcible removal of East of England MEP, Richard Howitt, from the official media area of Dale Farm by officials of Basildon Council during the ...
07.11.2011CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION (No. 2)
That this House calls on the Government to launch an inquiry into the activities of the City of London Corporation reported in The Guardian on 7 November 2011 related to the investment ...
02.11.2011CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION
That this House considers that it is unacceptable in a democratic country in thetwenty-firstcentury for the business vote to continue to exist in elections for the City of London Corporation, ...
11.10.2011PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS (No.3)
That this House notes that proposals by Government Ministers run the serious risk of making public sector pension schemes unsustainable; further notes that increasing contributions ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
24.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill (HL Bill 72 of 2012-13)
The purpose of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill is to promote investment in infrastructure projects, reduce delays in the planning system and introduce a new employment status of employee shareholder. This Library Note provides background information for the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 8 January 2013.
09.11.2012Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill (HL Bill 45 of 2012-13)
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill includes measures for changes to competition policy, to employment law, and for reducing regulation, as well as provisions on the Green Investment Bank, directors' remuneration, copyright and planning. This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords.
27.05.2011Localism Bill (HL Bill 71 of 2010-12)
This Library Note summarises proceedings at the Localism Bill's final stages in the House of Commons and provides background information for the Bill's second reading debate in the House of Lords.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library