Is Local Government an Important Feature in Today's Society
Is Local Government an Important Feature in Today's Society
The structure of local government in England and Wales at the end of the 1990's was still essentially a two-tier system based on counties (the top tier) and the districts (the lower tier). This broad division between two levels of authority is a historical survival pre-dating the Local Government Act 1972, the first serious attempt to reform the structure. This Act was in turn partially based on the proposals contained in the Redcliffe-Maud report of 1968. It was set up by the Labour government led by Wilson in 1966, and the commission was charged with examining the structure of local government with a view to making recommendations for its improvement. It was said, that many local authorities were too small to function efficiently, as they lacked qualified staffs and resources. Possibly the most important findings of the Maud Commission were the criticisms relating to local democracy and central-local relationships. The effects of the structural defects existing in local government were firstly, the public perceived local government as irrelevant, with a consequent increase in apathy. Secondly, central government ministers were reluctant to expand the powers of existing local authorities because of the inefficiencies in the system. Maud wanted to see existing local councils replaced by more efficient unitary authorities. This never happened. Instead a more complex three-tier system was created in 1995 (comprising of two tiers and a single tier). Although it is early to comment on the new authorities, the introduction of what is in effect a "hybrid" system of local government has had a mixed reception.
The generally held belief is that local government should be accessible and close to the people it serves. If people are to participate, local government boundaries should reflect local community feelings. Local government is elected, and is therefore representative and responsible. This makes it different from local administration, which would be where branch offices of government ministries run local affairs. Local government - in principle - is fairly autonomous, and this gives it a claim to power. It is the only directly elected body apart from parliament.
In theory local government is a useful addition to democracy. Firstly, it is necessary to protect local interests, which someone in London may know nothing about. Secondly, some things can be more efficiently administered locally, by local people. Co-ordination of the different services...