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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Councils to get fresh law powers | Councils to get fresh law powers |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| English councils will get the power to bring in bylaws with fixed penalties without Whitehall approval under plans to increase local communities' powers. | English councils will get the power to bring in bylaws with fixed penalties without Whitehall approval under plans to increase local communities' powers. |
| The proposed shake-up would bring in more mayors and elected leaders, with police, health and education bosses to face greater scrutiny from the public. | The proposed shake-up would bring in more mayors and elected leaders, with police, health and education bosses to face greater scrutiny from the public. |
| Local inquiries on issues such as hospital closures and drug dealing could begin if there was public demand. | Local inquiries on issues such as hospital closures and drug dealing could begin if there was public demand. |
| Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly will give more details of the ideas later. | Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly will give more details of the ideas later. |
| They are to be published in a White Paper which comes during the comprehensive review of local government finance, led by Sir Michael Lyons. He is due to report to ministers in December. | |
| 'Recast' relationship | 'Recast' relationship |
| "Rather than the government having to approve every single local bylaw, it should be local people that decide whether they want a particular law tackling anti-social behaviour," Ms Kelly said. | "Rather than the government having to approve every single local bylaw, it should be local people that decide whether they want a particular law tackling anti-social behaviour," Ms Kelly said. |
| ENGLISH COUNCIL POWERS Funding: Revenues come from a locally-set council tax, rates for businesses, government grants and other areas such as parking ticketsPublic spaces: Authorities oversee street-cleaning and maintenance of roads, pavements, parks and gardensEducation: Services such as school and libraries are provided by councilsWelfare: They deal with housing provision and other social services such as meals-on-wheelsBusinesses: Councils ensure food safety and trading standards are maintainedDisruption: Anti-social behaviour, noise and litter are all tackled at a local levelBuildings: Authorities also grant permission for planning applications and set regulations for work on property | |
| People should also be "able to go out and impose an instant fine if someone breaks that", she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. | People should also be "able to go out and impose an instant fine if someone breaks that", she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. |
| The plans would "recast" the relationship between local and central government and introduce "strong, visible local leadership", she added. | The plans would "recast" the relationship between local and central government and introduce "strong, visible local leadership", she added. |
| Tory life peer Lord Bruce-Lockhart said central government control had wasted money, sapped energy and denied local choice at a time of cynicism with politicians. | Tory life peer Lord Bruce-Lockhart said central government control had wasted money, sapped energy and denied local choice at a time of cynicism with politicians. |
| "It is time for Whitehall to decentralise, devolve and deregulate to set people free of bureaucracy and improve the lives of millions of people," he said. | "It is time for Whitehall to decentralise, devolve and deregulate to set people free of bureaucracy and improve the lives of millions of people," he said. |
| "This also means that council leaders must accept that the buck stops with them when things go wrong." | "This also means that council leaders must accept that the buck stops with them when things go wrong." |
| 'Welcome change' | 'Welcome change' |
| Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour leader of the Local Government Association, claimed local authorities spent too much time reporting to the government, rather than their residents. | Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour leader of the Local Government Association, claimed local authorities spent too much time reporting to the government, rather than their residents. |
| The White Paper proposed a "welcome change" in the relationship between central and local government, he said. | The White Paper proposed a "welcome change" in the relationship between central and local government, he said. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY We don't need more local government, we just need a better government Andrew Smith, Leeds Send us your comments But Liberal Democrat Andrew Stunell insisted it looked more like empty rhetoric. | HAVE YOUR SAY We don't need more local government, we just need a better government Andrew Smith, Leeds Send us your comments But Liberal Democrat Andrew Stunell insisted it looked more like empty rhetoric. |
| "Local people will only have a bigger say in how the services they use are run if there is radical reform and devolution of powers. | "Local people will only have a bigger say in how the services they use are run if there is radical reform and devolution of powers. |
| "That means giving councils greater freedom to serve their communities, scrapping the council tax and replacing it with fair taxes raised and spent locally, and introducing fair votes - as has been done in Scotland." | "That means giving councils greater freedom to serve their communities, scrapping the council tax and replacing it with fair taxes raised and spent locally, and introducing fair votes - as has been done in Scotland." |
| Meanwhile Dermot Finch, of the Centre for Cities research unit, said towns and cities should get more power to raise and spend business tax locally to invest in transport and skills. | Meanwhile Dermot Finch, of the Centre for Cities research unit, said towns and cities should get more power to raise and spend business tax locally to invest in transport and skills. |