Local Government Reorganisation Research Articles

Libraries and local government review – the Humberside experience

Discusses how the reorganization of local government, enforced by recent government legislation, has affected Humberside County Council′s leisure services department. Highlights the key issues to be addressed by library services in the reorganization process. Explains the preparations for change and new initiatives at both the corporate and departmental level aimed at improving communications during this process. Deals with service profiles, joint arrangements, budget disaggregation and staffing considerations. Explains staff transfer and recruitment procedures, with reference to statutory transfer orders (STOs) made by the Secretary of State. Concludes that the staff most involved in driving through the process of change do not have the security of being on a provisional STO, yet their positive commitment is essential if services are to be transferred effectively to new authorities.

Implementing local government reorganisation in the housing service: The case of Wales

Implementing local government reorganisation in the housing service: The case of Wales

The potential impact of local government reorganization on child protection services in Wales

The potential impact of local government reorganization on child protection services in Wales

Population Size and Economies of Scale in Local Government

The existence of scale economies in the production of local government services is increasingly questioned by policy makers and academics. In place of the old orthodoxy that big is beautiful, a new orthodoxy is emerging that there are no significant scale effects. However, the empirical evidence does not warrant this conclusion. There may be scale economies in local services, but these relate to the output of service plants, not the size of the population; and there may be population effects on local performance, but these concern effectiveness and responsiveness rather than efficiency. Thus, economies of scale and population effects need to be tested separately but considered together in decisions on local government reorganisation.

The Changing Values of Local Government

Local government reorganization has been almost ubiquitous in developed countries in the last decades. Local authorities have been restructured, the relationships between central and local government have been reshaped, and new local government acts have been passed in a number of countries. Basically, this is a response to the expansion of governmental intervention in the society. The ideological premises underlying these processes are complex and manifold. Partly, they refer to the traditional values of local self-government, with an accent on autonomy, participation, and efficiency. Partly, they refer to fundamental requirements of central steering in the contemporary state: rule of law, geographical redistribution, and macroeconomic steering. This variegated set of values and requirements has to be given space in the local government institution. This is why the process of reorganization cannot be subsumed under a dichotomy of centralization and decentralization. Local government in advanced democracies is too complex to be accommodated by such a simple formula, requiring a redefinition of its role in society.

Restructuring Local Government: The Banham Commission's Failed Historic Enterprise

Local government reorganisation has been elevated onto the policy agenda as the Local Government Commission has submitted its final report, and as the Labour and Conservative Parties debate the merits of regional government. This paper analyses the immediate political pressure which led to the formation of the Banham Commission and positions the Commission within the broader context of pressures for local government reform which have developed over the last 20 years. The paper discusses the Commission's failure to achieve wide-ranging reorganisation, and concludes that this missed opportunity may have been the best possible outcome for John Major's government.

The Implications for Planning of Local Government Reorganisation in Wales: Purpose, Process, and Practice

Local government in Great Britain is currently undergoing reorganisation. The reorganisation process is being progressed separately in each of the three countries of Great Britain—England, Scotland, and Wales. Reorganisation itself has always been a sensitive issue, and the current process is no exception. Political implications of the process have often tended to cloud the practical implications for the delivery of local authority services. In this paper support by senior members of the planning profession in Wales for central government's reorganisation proposals is measured. The content of the proposals is examined and the principal planning-related issues that arise from them are identified. The paper highlights current debate on the implications of local government reorganisation for the future delivery and nature of planning in the principality, with particular reference to three key areas: Planning in a unitary local government structure, the nature of strategic planning within a reorganised local government structure, and the role of community and town councils in the planning process. It is shown that despite general dissatisfaction with central government's regard for the planning function in its proposals for reorganisation, there is considerable support for the underlying principles and content of those proposals. The paper is concluded by progressing the debate to the form of local authority planning postreorganisation.

LEA visual impairment services: the challenge of change

This article presents findings from the third survey of local education authority (LEA) Visual Impairment (VI) Services in England and Wales, highlighting changes and pressure points, examining the impact of local management of schools (LMS) and outlining future possibilities in the light of local government reorganisation.

The integration of child care services in Scotland

This paper describes the development of integrated child care services in Scotland with a particular focus on the role of residential child care provision. It discusses changes in Social Work Department policies and the impact this has had on their relationship with the Children's Hearings system. Recent research shows the pattern of use of residential and foster care in three Social Work Departments and issues in the development of residential services are identified. Three particular examples of service integration are described: residential outreach work; a centre for young people under an integrated management; and multi-agency youth strategies. Social work and education services in Scotland are in the process of radical change. In the context of the integration of child care services, the paper discusses the impact of local government reorganisation and changes in child care legislation.

The Last Act: the Regional Elections of 1994

From one perspective the latest round of elections to the Scottish Regional Councils, which took place on May Sth 1994, were meaningless. Over most of the country, voters were being asked to elect councils which will shortly be abolished as part the government's proposed reorganisation of local government in Scotland. Indeed, the elections were fought on the basis of newly revised electoral divisions which will themselves soon cease to have any meaning. Normally, political parties contest local elections in order to try to get control of local authorities so that they can attempt to implement their distinctive policies in the areas concerned. The whole rationale of local democracy is that the electorate can hold a party or individuals responsible for their stewardship of local affairs and vote to throw the rascals out or confirm them in office. On the face of it, however, these considerations did not apply in 1994. There was little incentive for parties to seek control of a local authority that would shortly be consigned to history, and little point in electors seeking to reward or punish their local representatives.

Public health medicine advice to local authorities:Does it happen?

The views of public health physicians on the extent and quality of their specialty'scollaboration with local government in Scotland was ascertained by postal questionnaire. Responses were received from 84 out of 97 (85%). Consultants in Public Health Medicine (CPHMs) working in Scottish health boards. Those working in health boards were more likely than colleagues in university departments to consider their service department to be sufficiently aware of and involved in issues having a bearing on health but not directly related to provision of health services (48/70 vs 4/12, RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1–3.8). Seventy CPHMs gave advice to local authorities. They were in contact with amedian of two local authority departments (range 0–6); most commonly Social Work (38 CPHMs), Environmental Health (36), and Education (26). CPHMs participated in a median of one multi-disciplinary group (range 0–3); most commonly Health Promotion (16 CPHMs), Child Welfare (9), Emergency Planning (9). The majority, 42 of 67 (63%), valued this contact highly, only three considering it of doubtful utility. Difficulties with bringing an item to the attention of a local authority department were identified by six out of 56 (11%) CPHMs and 32/69 (46%) recorded problems in ensuring Public Health Medicine input to local authority committees. In most health boards (12/14) there were formal meetings between CPHMs and heads of local authority departments; in each these were supplemented by informal meetings. One Director of Public Health and eight other CPHMs reported neither formal nor informal with local authorities. Spontaneous comments from respondents indicated a desire to strengthen the links with local authority departments. The proposed reorganisation of local government provides an opportunity to redefine and strengthen Public Health Medicine input.

The Changing Role of the Regional Library Systems

The UK Regional Library Systems date from the 1930s when they were set up to develop union catalogues and organize regional interlending. During 60 years of development their role has broadened and they have developed a variety of added‐value services. Their original purpose is still important although modified in the light of developments such as BLDSC and automation. They are centrally placed to play a key role in working out the effects of local government reorganization, in acting as agencies through which the proposed National Library and Information Commission could operate, and in protecting the interests of users during a period of change.

Lessons from New Zealand's Land-Use Laws

Abstract Imagine the repeal of nearly every zoning, planning, and environmental statute in your state, a total reorganization of local and state government, and the enactment of a single comprehensive land-useI environmental law. Cannot hap-pen you say? Well it did in New Zealand. And the results maybe considered a model for the western world.1

From Structural Pivot To Walk On Part? The Arts And Local Government Re-Organisation

It cannot be emphasised too strongly that local authorities have been confirmed by the Charter process as the structural pivot of cultural life in Scotland. There is almost no area of activity, from Scottish Opera to community video, in which they are not involved in some capacity. At best they have been able to combine a closeness to local grassroots with a flexible approach to definitions of cultural activity, an ability to see the community's needs in the round, and imaginative approaches to co­ operation with the private sector, and the level of arts funding alone makes them key players in this field. This glowing reference for Scottish local authority involvement in the arts from The Charter For the Arts in Scotland (1993) neatly encapsulates the reason why the Scottish arts community and the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) are very concerned about the possible implication of the proposal to re­ organise local government. The arts community recognises that the position of the arts is only a relatively minor consideration when put alongside the Government's proposals for the water and sewerage service and the wholesale redrawing of council boundaries. However, local government re-organisation could have profound effects on the arts in Scotland. Surveys of public opinion consistently show that there is a high level of public participation in, and support for, the arts. The arts are widely accepted by council taxpayers as a

Community and Local Government Re-Organisation

The Local Government Commission for England has already reported on its proposals for re-organisation of the fitst tranche of local authorities that it is due to consider. The government envisages that the Commission should complete its review of the remainder of the country by the end of 1994. This paper looks at the ways in which the concept of “community” has been used in the debate on a unitary structure for local government. The author argues that attempts to equate administrative efficiency in the delivery of services with “community identity” are seriously flawed, and that there is an underlying political agenda behind the introduction of this concept in the first place.

Public Libraries and Local Government Reorganization

Public Libraries and Local Government Reorganization

The reform of Scottish local government

The reorganization of local government in Scotland has been linked by ministers to the abolition of the poll tax. The process has been ministerially driven with opinion canvassed through the publication of two consultation papers. One clear objective is to end the redistributive capacity of the large regions by the creation of a uniform single‐tier system of local government throughout Scotland. However, the requirement on the new authorities to produce a scheme for administrative decentralization within a year of their establishment may compromise the promised simplicity of a single‐tier structure. Alan Alexander and Kevin Orr discuss the implications of these changes for democratic accountability and the internal management of local authorities.

An undertaker's lot

In the current reorganization of local government, it is instructive to look back at the last occasion when structural changes were made—the abolition of the metropolitan counties and the Greater London Council in 1986. The ‘Undertaker’ in the title refers to the Residuary Bodies created to take on residuary liabilities following the abolition of those authorities. Operating in the role of receiver—and undertaker—the Residuary Bodies were a new creation in local government. There were no precedents to rely on and they began life in a politically charged and hostile environment. This article tells the story of the first 18 months of one such body—West Yorkshire.

Place, Personal Characteristics and Councillor Roles: a multivariate analysis of survey data

The government proposals on the structure and internal management of local government put forward in 1991 raise important questions for the representative and decision-making roles of councillors. A re-analysis of data collected for the Widdicombe committee in 1985 was conducted, using multiple regression. The findings suggest that the time councillors spend on different council activities is significantly affected by a number of locality variables, including party control, authority type and representative ratio, and by personal characteristic variables, including income and party affiliation. Representative ratio also appears to have an influence upon the characteristics of the councillors themselves. The implications for the reorganisation of local government are explored.

Implications of local government reorganization

This article looks at the problem of providing estimates for the alternative costs of local government structures in the case of an existing county area where over £833M is spent annually on services. The focus is on the national ‘rules of the game’ set out in the Policy Guidance given to the Local Government Commission. The way in which the Commission and their consultants have interpreted these rules is considered and set against a backdrop of how the adoption of a national model is at odds with a realistic measure of the changes in costs arising in a local area as a result of organizational changes.