LGA Governance


Agenda item

Agenda item

Work Programme 2016/2017

Minutes:

The chair introduced the item and asked members if anything should be added to the work programme.

 

Ian Hughes, Head of Programmes, advised the board that there would be a discussion on Britain exiting the EU at the next LGA Leadership Board on the 14th September 2016. This would focus on EU funding issues and the need to secure resources until 2020. The discussion would also consider EU law and the impact changes in legislation would have on local government. Constitutional issues would also be taken into account and the need to build a future legal framework.

 

In the discussion which followed, members made the following points:

 

·         Members asked whether there had been an indication from the civil service of what the negotiation strategy would look like. It was important for local government to press for an indication of this.

 

·         Members queried whether there was a list of asks for local improvements and highlighted that this was an opportunity to make the case for localising powers that came back from Europe.

 

·         Many city economies were driven by research and many were reliant on European funding. The distribution of resource after the EU exit, therefore, would need to be done in a fair and transparent way. Most research was carried out through international collaboration and universities should be allowed to continue these partnerships. Local government needed to work with universities on this.

 

·         It was highlighted that the exit negotiations should also be seen as an opportunity to develop and improve research.

 

·         Government would need to be pushed for clarity on what would be funded and whether EU money currently funding local government would be replaced. Distribution mechanisms should also be clarified. Local government would need to stand together on this issue.

 

·         There were concerns about the status of EU residents without British citizenship and the impact this was having on communities. The government needed to be pressed to resolve this. Members also made the point that some fractures in society were not related to the decision to leave the EU but that local authorities were well placed to address these.

 

·         Members emphasised that the LGA’s contribution to the exit plans needed to be unique and distinctive to ensure it did not get lost in the many issues which would be raised.

 

·         It was highlighted that EU regulations on procurement could now be relaxed to give more opportunities to local business. However, members emphasised it was important to maintain rules that prevented industrial disputes and avoided policies which only allowed one industrial policy to operate in one part of the country.

 

Decision:

 

1.    The board agreed the draft work programme for 2016/2017.

 

Action:

 

1.    Officers to take forward work as directed by members.

 

Supporting documents: