Overview

This bill amends several existing Acts to allow for greater devolution of powers to combined authorities and mayors in England, including the creation of new sub-national transport bodies. It clarifies consent requirements for devolution and introduces new mechanisms for joint working and oversight.

Description

The bill makes numerous amendments to existing legislation, primarily focused on clarifying and expanding the powers of combined authorities and mayors. Key changes include:

Devolution of Powers:

The bill enhances the ability to devolve functions from central government to combined authorities and mayors, specifying how these functions should be recorded and reported. It details the processes for transferring functions, including provisions for joint or concurrent exercise of powers and the establishment of committees for specific functions.

Consent and Oversight:

The bill addresses consent requirements for devolution, specifying when the consent of constituent councils, combined authorities, and mayors is needed before an order can be made. It clarifies the situations where consent is not necessary, for instance when amending previous orders regarding devolved health services. Provisions are added for police and crime panels to oversee certain mayoral functions.

Sub-national Transport Bodies (STBs):

A significant addition is the creation of STBs. These bodies would be established by the Secretary of State through regulations, with the consent of constituent authorities. Their functions would relate to transport strategies, coordination, and potentially the transfer of existing transport functions. The bill sets out details on their structure, funding, and powers, including the ability to delegate functions, create transport strategies, and potentially give directions to constituent authorities.

National Park Authorities:

The bill grants more general powers to English National Park Authorities, allowing them to undertake actions they deem appropriate for their functional purposes or those incidental or connected to them, including those for commercial purposes.

Amendments to other Acts:

The bill includes extensive amendments to the National Health Service Act 2006, clarifying how health service functions may be devolved to local or combined authorities and how this relates to the existing core duties of the Secretary of State.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify changes to government spending, but the devolution of functions could potentially lead to shifts in resource allocation between central government and local authorities. Funding for newly created sub-national transport bodies will be determined by the Secretary of State, with the potential for contributions from constituent authorities.

Groups Affected

• Combined Authorities and Mayors: Gain increased powers and responsibilities.
• Constituent Councils: Their involvement and consent are crucial in the devolution process.
• Local Government: The bill significantly alters the balance of power between central and local government.
• National Health Service (NHS): Changes to the devolution of health services functions affect NHS bodies and clinical commissioning groups.
• Police and Crime Panels: May gain greater oversight roles.
• Transport providers and stakeholders: The creation of sub-national transport bodies has significant implications for transport planning and delivery.
• English National Park Authorities: Gain more general powers.

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