PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Local Government: Greater Manchester (20 January 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the Greater Manchester devolution agreement and the election of a directly elected city-region Mayor.

Asked by:
Lisa Nandy (Labour)

Following the November 2014 devolution agreement between the Government and Greater Manchester, it is envisaged a Bill will be introduced into Parliament with provision for a Greater Manchester Mayor, for elections of the Mayor – expected to be, as for other local government elections - every 4 years, with the first election in 2017, for effective scrutiny arrangements to hold the Mayor publicly to account, and for open and transparent arrangements providing for appropriate allowances to be decided in Greater Manchester for the Mayor. Such a Bill will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment, which will cover estimated costs and benefits. A preliminary equality screening will be undertaken, but we will not be undertaking a full blown Equality Impact Assessment if we assess there is no impact, given it is our policy to avoid unnecessary equalities paperwork.

Answered by:
Kris Hopkins (Conservative)
26 January 2015