Return to return to the committee system

Posted on 27/06/2019 by Ed Hammond | committee system, governance review

It’s time to come back to a topic beloved of local authority governance enthusiasts – the committee system. A quick primer for those who were not working in the sector – or who, indeed, may not have been born – when the Local Government Act 2000 came into force, bringing into existence the governance systems under which most local authorities still operate. Before 2000, council decision-making happened through a number of service committees, politically balanced, which met frequently to set policy, make decisions and monitor performance. The 2000 Act concentrated decision-making in the hands of council Cabinets, and abolished ...