23 May 2008
John Healey has signalled a possible major expansion in the role of Local Area Agreements, suggesting they might become the principal mechanism through which central government commissions local services.
The local government minister indicated that the agreements could become much more ambitious, with the range of services and providers within their remit increasing substantially.
Healey, addressing an Institute for Public Policy Research conference, said the emerging picture of local priorities being enshrined in LAAs was 'very encouraging'. He suggested that, if the agreements proved successful, they could pave the way for more comprehensive versions in the future.
'If we can make this LAA approach work over the next couple of years, why should we not see this as a potential way that the centre commissions and funds local services? Well beyond local government, with stronger shared services, pooled budgets, duties to co-operate, and cross-agency scrutiny,' he told delegates.
Healey also raised the possibility of extending the community call for action, under which residents can demand a review of unsatisfactory services, and the similar power entrusted to ward councillors. At the moment, these apply only to local authority services.
'But most people don't recognise institutional divides. So the obvious next step is to develop the community call for action, and especially the councillor call for action, beyond the boundaries of the local authority,' he said.
Earlier at the same conference, held in London on May 15, Sir Michael Lyons issued a call for greater clarity over which services should be available to everyone across the country and which should be left to local discretion.
Lyons, whose long-running review of local government concluded last year, said this was essential to give the public realistic expectations of the services available.
This would enable proper management of public expenditure, as it would help politicians and the public recognise that 'you can't keep adding to that list'.
'Part of the process of managing expectations is leaving more things to be determined at a local level,' Lyons told delegates.
'One sensible way of dealing with this is to determine the list of national priorities and leave a whole set of issues for communities to make their own choices, both about the scale and the mix of services.'
PFmay2008
