London Councils launches its manifesto
Radical proposals that would lead to better services and give Londoners more say over key issues affecting their everyday lives have been launched by London Councils.
The Manifesto for Londoners, supported by all three main political parties, will also pave the way for significant savings.
Under the proposals, Londoners would have more of a say over issues including local health care provision, how their neighbourhoods are policed, the licensing of venues, and schemes helping the jobless get back into work.
This would be achieved by devolving more powers from Whitehall and quangos to London boroughs to enable them to tailor and commission services so that they focus more closely on people's individual needs. This would result in resources being used more efficiently and performance becoming more accountable to local communities.
Recent research commissioned for London Councils by Pricewaterhouse Coopers suggests devolution and greater focus on giving individuals more choice can generate savings of up to 15 per cent.
Among the proposals being put forward by London Councils are:
•integrating non-acute care budgets of Primary Care Trusts with all other local care services by ensuring that local authorities have accountability for commissioning services
•re-writing the licensing laws to allow boroughs to deal more appropriately with issues and concerns around pubs, clubs and premises like lap dancing clubs
•devolving the funding and work of the Government Office for London on safeguarding children to the London Safeguarding Children Board
•devolving Job Centre Plus programmes and other national and regional back-to-work schemes to boroughs. This will allow the boroughs to deliver co-ordinated support packages designed to meet differing individual needs.
•scrapping the housing revenue account system and allowing boroughs to design a London model for managing existing debt and borrowing against their assets to invest more in improving their housing stock
•increasing local co-ordination of offender management services with the long term aim of transferring financial responsibility for community justice and offender management of non-violent criminals to boroughs to make the system more locally accountable and sensitive to the concerns of local residents.
•abolishing the recently created Young People's Learning Agency in London and devolving its powers to the London boroughs co-ordinating arm for youth training.
Chairman of London Councils, Councillor Merrick Cockell said: "The global recession has left a new environment. The next government will have to fundamentally change how they respond to the demands and needs of Londoners.
"Achieving this needs radical and brave steps, and our Manifesto for Londoners is a unique cross party demonstration of practical and sensible solutions.
"Councils need more powers to help Londoners find jobs, feel safe on the streets, improve their local areas, get the healthcare they need, and make sure their children are protected.
"Local government has long called for devolution but our proposals in this manifesto are by far the most comprehensive, detailed and ambitious. We are now throwing down the gauntlet to any new government to work with us to drive forward this pioneering vision."
