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
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 01.08.2013 | The Local Audit and Accountability Bill: progress through Parliament |
| 'This Standard Note covers the progress of the Local Audit and Accountability Bill 2013-14 through Parliament. The Bill will abolish the Audit Commission, enable local authorities to choose their own auditors, and introduce a new framework for local public audit largely based on that applying in the private sector. The Bill also contains additional clauses covering the local authority publicity code and the provisions for referendums on rises in council tax. More details on the background to the Bill can be found in SN/PC/05681, The draft Local Audit Bill and the abolition of the Audit Commission.' | |
| 01.08.2013 | Localism Act: Assets of community value |
| This note briefly discusses the 'assets of community value' scheme introduced in the Localism Act 2011.The scheme requires a local council to maintain a list of 'community assets'. These can be nominated by community groups and, provided the nomination is accepted, the group will be given time to come up with a bid for the asset when they are sold. The scheme was brought into effect on 21 September 2012. A non statutory advice note for local authorities was issued by DCLG on 4 October 2012. | |
| 25.07.2013 | Sources of social statistics: Local Government Finance |
| A guide to the key sources in Local Government Finance Statistics. | |
| 19.07.2013 | Community 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. | |
| 18.07.2013 | The Bellwin Scheme |
| The Bellwin scheme provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities. Such assistance is usually provided in response to an emergency caused by the weather, but relief may also be available in other circumstances. This note describes how the scheme works and lists the occasions when Bellwin funding has been used. It also summarises the conclusions of Sir Michael Pitt on funding arrangements following severe flooding. Scotland and Wales have their own emergency financial assistance schemes and these are covered in the final section. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 08.02.2013 | The 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. | |
| 13.12.2012 | Growth 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 | |
| 01.11.2012 | Growth 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. | |
| 03.10.2012 | Enterprise 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 | |
| 07.08.2012 | UK 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
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 16.01.2012 | Government response to the fifth report of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee on |
| Government response. Communities and Local Government Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 17.10.2011 | Audit and inspection of local authorities. |
| Government response. Communities and Local Government report [Commons] | |
| 17.09.2011 | Localism. |
| Communities and Local Government report [Commons] | |
| 27.06.2011 | Audit and inspection of local authorities. |
| Communities and Local Government Select Committee report [Commons] | |
| 23.06.2011 | The abolition of regional spatial strategies: a planning vacuum. |
| Government response. Communities and Local Government report [Commons] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 12.12.2011 | TENTH 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 ... | |
| 14.11.2011 | ACTIONS 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 ... | |
| 07.11.2011 | CITY 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 ... | |
| 02.11.2011 | CITY 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, ... | |
| 11.10.2011 | PUBLIC 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
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 24.12.2012 | Growth 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. | |
| 09.11.2012 | Enterprise 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. | |
| 27.05.2011 | Localism 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. |
