MPs to examine impact of Brexit on local authorities

18 Oct 17

A group of MPs will examine Brexit’s impact on local authorities and the role they could play after the withdrawal from the EU.

The communities and local government committee’s Brexit and local government inquiry will look at which powers currently held by the EU could be transferred to town halls after the UK’s exit.

It will also examine the risks and opportunities posed by Brexit and how local government is engaged in the Brexit negotiations.

Clive Betts, chair of the CLG committee, said: “The previous secretary of state said last year that local government must be represented in the negotiations on the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU, but the role of local authorities post-Brexit is still unclear.

“We hope our inquiry will help to clarify what the best possible outcome of those talks for local government would look like.”

He added: “We will be investigating which powers local authorities could take as they are returned from Brussels and explore how our departure from the EU might affect investment, development, and economic funding affecting local authorities.”

Betts also said that the inquiry would look at the employment of EU nationals and how Brexit would affect local workforces in areas such as adult social care and construction.

The committee is expected to hold a series of one-off evidence sessions running until early 2019 with the first evidence session to be held later this year.

This aim of this first session is to clarify the key concerns of the local government sector and the desired outcome of the EU negotiations.

Today’s announcement follows the launch of CIPFA’s Brexit Advisory Commission, which is examining the impact of leaving the EU on the UK’s public services.

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