Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities
(): The Levelling Up White Paper
set out the Government’s ambition that, by 2030, every part of
England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at
or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified,
long-term funding settlement. Stronger, more empowered, and more
accountable local leadership is core to our levelling up mission,
to delivering on the ground, to growing our local economies and
to improving public services.
In Summer 2022, the Government concluded devolution deals with
York and North Yorkshire, and that part of the East Midlands
which includes Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and
Nottinghamshire. Subject to the ongoing local consultations and
satisfactory completion of the statutory processes, including
local consent by the councils and Parliamentary approval of the
secondary legislation to implement the deals, the inaugural
mayoral elections are planned for May 2024. The East Midlands
deal is also dependent on the enactment of provisions in the
Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill necessary for the
establishment of the proposed East Midlands Mayoral Combined
County Authority.
The Government has now concluded three more devolution deals with
Cornwall, Norfolk and Suffolk. These are the first set of the new
County Deals that extend devolution to more of England. Each deal
will result in the election of a mayor or directly elected leader
to champion the area with government and business. These deals
are subject to locally run consultations, resolution by each of
Cornwall Council, Suffolk County Council and Norfolk County
Council to change their governance models so that electors
directly elect the council leader, and to the satisfactory
conclusion of the statutory processes, including local consent
from the councils and Parliamentary approval to the secondary
legislation to implement the deals. Inaugural elections for a
mayor or directly elected leader in each of the areas are planned
for May 2024. They will have the choice of alternative titles to
"mayor" for these elections, subject to provisions in the
Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill being enacted.
These five new devolution deals will drive forward improved
outcomes for the 5 million people that live in those areas. Taken
together, they take the proportion of England now covered by a
devolution deal to above 50% for the first time. They will
deliver new funding including long-term investment funds to
invest in local priorities that drive growth and levelling up,
totalling over £3 billion over 30 years.
The Government is also in advanced negotiations on a North East
devolution deal that will supersede the current North of Tyne
Combined Authority that covers only Newcastle, North Tyneside and
Northumberland. A deal is expected to be concluded shortly and
further details will be announced.
Negotiations on trailblazer deeper devolution deals with the West
Midlands and Greater Manchester Combined Authorities are
progressing well and expected to conclude early in 2023. These
deals seek to devolve further powers in areas such as skills,
transport, housing and net zero, alongside potential
department-style single funding settlements and stronger
accountability focussed on outcomes. They will act as a blueprint
for other areas to follow. We are interested in other MCAs coming
forward with ideas for new functions. We will begin talks with
other MCAs on deeper devolution from next year. The Government
will set out more on plans for those talks soon.
Effective devolution requires local leaders and institutions that
are transparent and accountable. This is why the Government will
be publishing the Devolution Accountability Framework in early
2023, alongside a Funding Simplification Plan, setting out the
accountability mechanisms for MCAs, the Greater London Authority
and other institutions that have agreed a devolution deal. It
will set out how they are scrutinised and held to account by the
UK Government, local politicians and business leaders and above
all by the residents and voters of their area. This work will be
supported by planned improvements to the broader Local Government
Accountability Framework including the establishment of the
Office for Local Government.
The Government will step ahead in extending devolution in England
further. We will continue to work with local government in
England to roll out further mayoral combined authorities,
combined county authorities, and county deals. Discussions with
places to identify potential candidates for the next set of new
devolution deals will start in early 2023. The Government is
particularly interested in exploring opportunities for devolution
deals that will empower local leaders and communities where
places want a directly elected leader, in line with the
devolution framework published in the Levelling Up White Paper.
The above demonstrates strong progress towards achieving the 2030
local leadership mission, which is essential to levelling up. In
these areas across England, more of the decisions which matter to
people – on transport, housing, and skills – will be taken by
locally elected, democratically accountable leaders rooted in
their place and empowered to level up.
