This week’s policy updates from our Lead Members on LGA policy boards includes news and information from:
- Economy and Transport, and
- Fire and Rescue
Regular updates on the work of the LGA Lib Dems on policy boards will be published on the ALDC website and feedback on any of the matters raised is encouraged.
Economy and Transport
Lead Member – Heather Kidd
I have worked hard to have a real input into any reorganisation of the Highways Authority. The governments latest idea is to turn it into a Government Company. The details available as present are thin. I am working with officers to try to make sure that any thing in the future is actually accountable for the money it spends, the companies it contracts to and the robustness of its ‘duty ‘ to work with Councils. I know that Councils all over the Country have issues with the HA at present. The HA are being asked to attend the last meeting of the board on 31st July. Any evidence from LibDem Councillors would be welcome.
The Growth funds have also proved to be a very sensitive area. Government has changed guidelines and requirements regularly leaving councils feeling that devolution is as far away as ever. The Board had an interesting and stimulating meeting with our Government advisor for the Growth fund , Lord Shipley. It did appear that,with the exception of the Manchester area, most of the rest of the Country is not up to speed and we needed to get our act together. There was an interesting reception to this view. Rob Banks has circulated an email on Growth Deals – if you have not had a chance to respond to it please do so.
Fire and Rescue
Lead Member – Jeremy Hilton
Police & Crime Commissioners will not run fire authorities
On the 4th of March Damian Green MP, Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice wrote to all Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to advise them that the government was abandoning plans to handover fire authorities to PCCs. This is good news. I advised our own minsters in the coalition to oppose such a move. The controversial plan had originally been suggested by Sir Ken Knight in his report “Facing the Future” (published May 2013).
It would require primary legislation to transfer fire authorities to PCCs and as the proposal was not in the Coalition Agreement nor did it have Lib Dem backing, it had to be abandoned.
The Liberal Democrat group at the LGA has confirmed that we wish to keep fire and rescue authorities under the control of local councillors.
Fire Pension Reforms
As part of the reformed fire fighter pension scheme, new governance arrangements come into force on the 1st April 2015. These will require greater involvement of elected members at both a national and local level.
There will be a national Scheme Advisory Board, which is likely to meet four times a year with an independent chair. Locally, new pension boards are to be established by fire and rescue authorities who will be responsible for advising the scheme manager. Joint pension boards can be set up by more than one fire authority if they so wish.
Annual Fire Conference 2015
The Fire Service Management Committee has agreed that the 2015 LGA Fire Conference will be at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead.
Fire Transformation Funds
The bidding process for the £75 million fire and rescue transformation fund for 2015/16 closes for all bids on the 17th June.
Fire Service Industrial Action
The FBU are to take further industrial action during the month of June over their dispute with the government over fire service pensions.