Member News
By Clive Betts MP - 28th December 2010
“Few local authorities would dispute that a robust public audit regime is crucial to proper accountability for taxpayers’ money”
Clive Betts, chairman of the communities and local government committee
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is home to one of the coalition government’s big ideas: localism. But what does this actually mean? As yet, no-one is quite sure; so for the good of the country and our constituents, that is one of the early questions which the CLG committee has set out to answer.
Our inquiry into ‘localism’ was launched in July and has already attracted over 100 memoranda, not only from the think-tanks and local government bodies whom you would expect to take an interest but also from a range of charities, voluntary sector bodies and businesses likely to be at the sharp end of what this idea means for public service delivery. This major topic requires a substantial inquiry to do it justice and tease out the implications of this barely developed idea. We will continue taking evidence into the New Year and expect to report in the spring.
Meanwhile we have taken a more urgent look at the new government’s rapid decision to abolish regional spatial strategies. The government’s intention is to remove the regionally based housing targets and replace them with incentives for new housebuilding: the so-called New Homes Bonus. But along with the housing targets have also gone a raft of policies on other important planning issues, from gypsy and traveller sites to renewable energy, waste disposal and minerals extraction. How is that policy vacuum to be filled, and will the New Homes Bonus ensure that England gets the new housing it so badly needs? We will report in the New Year.
The latest ‘bonfire of the quangos’ drew a high-profile victim from amongst those ‘non-departmental public bodies’ for which DCLG is responsible: the Audit Commission. This is the body which local government loved to hate, and the demise of its inspection and assessment regime prompted rejoicing from that quarter. However, few local authorities would dispute that a robust public audit regime is crucial to proper accountability for taxpayers’ money. As with the abolition of regional spatial strategies, the accusation here too is that the government has thrown another baby out with the bathwater. We will be considering the future need for the functions formerly performed by the Audit Commission shortly: written evidence is being sought now.
Like all select committees I suspect we will want over the long term to scrutinise the impacts of the comprehensive spending review. DCLG took one of the biggest hits of all departments in this process, and that is bound to have a profound effect on its business. Our forthcoming evidence session with the secretary of state will give us the opportunity to question him on his priorities in the face of these swingeing cuts to his department’s spending, and to find out how we should judge his success or otherwise in achieving those priorities over the course of this Parliament. The effects of the huge reduction in housing expenditure will also require close scrutiny, given the clear need to increase supply and improve affordability.
Last but by no means least, following on from our predecessor committee, we have also assumed responsibility for scrutiny of the Government Equalities Office and its associated public bodies, chief among them the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Like the department, the GEO will be a much slimmed-down body post-CSR, but its work and responsibility for some crucial aspects of government policy is no less important. I am sure that the committee will in due course want to scrutinise the work of the GEO closely.
Clive Betts MP, chairman of the communities and local government committee
Article Comments
Since House Magazine went to press, we've had the housing minister Grant Shapps asserting that cutting housing benefit, abandoning regional planning and depleting the already small base of support for constructing houses will none the less produce an upsurge in new building, including housing at affordable rents. Clive Betts' committee will surely be wanting to ask the magician how such an extraordinary feat is to be achieved - perhaps Derren Brown will be a witness.
David Walker
3rd Jan 2011 at 3:16 pm
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