Local Democracy

To make provision for the purposes of promoting public involvement in relation to local authorities and other public authorities; to make provision about bodies representing the interests of tenants; to make provision about the procedures of local authorities and the audit of entities connected with them; to establish the Boundary Committee for England and to make provision relating to local government boundary and electoral change; to make provision about local and regional development; to amend the law relating to construction contracts; and for connected purposes.

The Bill seeks to create greater opportunities for community and individual involvement in local decision-making. It also provides for greater involvement of local authorities in local and regional economic development.

Key areas:

• Provisions to secure greater involvement of people in the workings and decision-making processes of local public authorities
• provisions to ensure that councils respond to petitions and can consider other matters raised by citizens in their area
• a new duty for local authorities to assess economic conditions; a joint duty on regional development agencies and local authorities to produce a single regional strategy; and powers for councils to co-operate in promoting economic development.

Additional provisions in the Bill include:

• establishing a new body to represent the interests of housing tenants in England at national level
• new powers for audit authorities to appoint auditors to, and to produce public interest reports on, entities connected with local authorities
• making the Boundary Committee for England a separate body from the Electoral Commission
• improving the operation of construction contracts particularly as regards cash flow and adjudication.