June 2010 The Mayor of London’s Proposals for Devolution Foreword London is more than just our capital city; it is a global powerhouse. Its population is as large as Wales and Scotland combined, and it has an economy larger than Denmark and Portugal combined. The city is home to more people than many EU member states, and is one of the few genuine ‘world cities’. Despite this, London’s devolution settlement remains weak and there is much room for improvement, particularly in ensuring that we see decisions taken by the local communities that they will affect. A new government has come in to power pledging further devolution; so now is the time to act. Greater London Authority (GLA) remains highly dependent on national government. The current The office of the Mayor of London, in place London settlement falls well short of the city since 2000, has worked well. It has enabled government arrangements in place in other more public services to be devolved from world cities, such as New York and Tokyo. Whitehall and delivered closer to Londoners. Through democratic debate and a clear electoral This will no longer do. With a new coalition mandate, it has given the UK’s premier city the government strongly supportive of the leadership it needs in key policy areas such as principles of devolution, we should grasp the transport infrastructure, policing, affordable opportunity to develop further the London housing, opportunities for children and young settlement. I welcome the Conservative Party’s people, and environmental improvements. ‘New Settlement for London’ publication and I also applaud the coalition Goverment’s Ten years, two and a half Mayoral terms and two decision to dismantle the Government Office for incumbents later, the office of Mayor has proved London (GoL) immediately. Building on these itself to be a mature, democratically legitimate developments, I am proposing a new chapter in institution. As my election victory in 2008 the devolution of Whitehall functions to London. showed, the Mayoralty has proved itself to be directly accountable to Londoners. My key asks are that the London region of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) However, while the Mayoralty may have be devolved to the GLA, and that the GLA substantial informal powers, outside transport group should be reorganised so as to make it and policing, its formal powers are minimal. as streamlined and fit for purpose as possible, When the Mayoralty was created in 1999, the including folding in the functions of the London vision was bold but the devolution package Development Agency (LDA) into the GLA. Other was lacking in some crucial respects. The proposals include giving London a greater say in 4 the Royal Parks, suburban rail lines, policing, the and the declarations of interest and of gifts and Thames and the Olympic legacy. hospitality of my team. I would of course expect the same standards of openness to apply to the Of course, London government does not consist new elements of the reshaped GLA group. solely of the Mayoralty. Greater devolution from Whitehall to the Mayor of London should Statutory powers are not, of course, the be all be accompanied by greater devolution to the and end all for the Mayoralty. The officeholder London boroughs, in line with the principles will always rely on the profile and the influence of “double devolution.” I have already made that the role brings. But statute must enable progress in giving boroughs greater discretion rather than hinder the Mayor; free up rather in a number of areas including local transport than restrict. The reforms outlined below form plans, and I am sure that we could go further in part of a truly localist approach to public service other areas such as housing and skills. delivery in which real and meaningful discretion is exercised democratically at the appropriate Greater power for the Mayor should also be tier of government. matched by greater power for the London Assembly to hold the Mayor to account. Any functions transferred to the GLA should be subject to strong Assembly scrutiny, and consideration should be given to whether the Assembly should be made fully independent of the GLA, and whether it should have an Boris Johnson enhanced role in strategy development. Mayor of London 15 June 2010 Transparency will be another key principle in the next tranche of devolution. I have led the way in publishing GLA payments over £1,000 Summary of proposals 1. Housing and regeneration The HCA in 6. Port of London Authority (PLA) The London should be devolved to the GLA PLA should be devolved to the GLA group group, so that the Mayor has a full set of given the critical importance of the Thames powers to deliver his housing policies. to London’s prosperity and the need to integrate its role with the Mayor’s Transport 2. Olympic legacy The Olympic Park Legacy Strategy and London Plan. The Mayor Company should be reconstituted as a should appoint the PLA Board with Kent and Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), Essex also given the right of representation. reporting directly to the Mayor, and democratically accountable to Londoners 7. Traffic control The Mayor should be given through the Mayor. greater flexibility over traffic control on Transport for London (TfL) roads so that he 3. Royal Parks Agency (RPA) Responsibility can develop more effective solutions to get for the Royal Parks should be devolved traffic in London flowing more smoothly. from Whitehall to the Mayor, to ensure clear democratic accountability to Londoners. Its 8. Policing The Metropolitan Police Authority’s funding should be transferred in full from (MPA) functions should be divided between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport the Mayor and the Assembly with the Mayor (DCMS) to the GLA. taking on executive functions and the Assembly taking on the scrutiny function. 4. Skills The Mayor, and the London Skills This would create a policing board for and Employment Board (LSEB) which he London under the Mayor’s control. The chairs, should get the power to approve the Home Secretary and the Mayor would jointly allocation of the adult skills budget in London. appoint the Metropolitan Police Service Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (MPS) Commissioner, who would in turn and Job Centre Plus (JCP) expenditure on appoint the senior team in the MPS. skills and employment in London should have regard to the LSEB strategy. 9. A reconstituted GLA group The GLA group should be reorganised to improve its 5. Rail franchises The Mayor and Secretary of efficiency and effectiveness. The London State for Transport should jointly award the rail region of the HCA, the RPA and the PLA franchises for those suburban rail lines which should be devolved to the GLA. The LDA’s are largely contained within the boundaries of functions should be folded into the GLA greater London, to ensure a more integrated with the LDA ceasing to exist; and the MPA’s transport system. The Mayor should have a functions should be revamped and divided formal role in monitoring the franchises. between the Mayor and the Assembly. 6 The Mayor of London’s Proposals for Devolution 10. Resilience Responsibility for resilience issues Other issues for discussion in London should be devolved from GoL, which is being abolished, to the Mayor, given 14. The London Assembly The greater powers his lead on city-wide operations. for the Mayor should be matched by greater powers for the London Assembly to hold 11. Statutory strategies The Mayor should him to account. Consideration should be be given a freer hand to produce the plans given to granting the Assembly an enhanced and strategies of his choice, rather than role in strategy development, and also to being required to produce a dozen statutory separating the London Assembly from the strategies, over half of which lack any real GLA so that it is seen as an independent implementation powers. The unnecessary scrutiny body. double consultation process should be replaced by a single consultation period. 15. Waste The government should look at options for strengthening the role of the 12. General power of competence In line London Waste and Recycling Board (LWaRB) with the government’s plans to introduce in delivering efficient and effective waste a general power of competence for local management for London. authorities, the Mayor should have greater freedom to deliver public services provided 16. Energy and Climate Change in the capital. Consideration should be given to mechanisms that can drive a more efficient, 13. Financial flexibility The detailed ring- co-ordinated approach to the delivery of fencing of central government grants within climate change and alternative energy areas such as policing detracts from the programmes in London. principles of devolution, and hinders the Mayor’s ability to allocate resources according 17. Health Building on his existing role, the to his priorities. It should be discontinued. Mayor should have a role in allocating financial resources for public health in London (excluding clinical services). Background London government comprises a directly proposals should they not fit with the Mayor’s elected Mayor and a 25-strong directly elected planning policies as set out in the statutory London Assembly. London Plan, and in some cases take over planning applications from the boroughs and The Mayor’s role is to provide leadership for grant approval. London and co-ordinate public service delivery • Community safety – the Mayor appoints the in certain key areas of physical and social chairs of the MPA and LFEPA, and sets both infrastructure. The Assembly’s role is to act as bodies’ budgets. the scrutiny body for the GLA group, and to hold the Mayoralty accountable for its performance.