The Executive considered proposals in relation to the Greater Manchester Agreement on Devolution to the Combined Authority and the transition to a directly elected Mayor and agreed that:-
· the response prepared by the Chief Executive, in consultation with Group Leaders, in respect of the Greater Manchester Consultation Paper be noted; and
· approval be given to the submission of the draft response to the Department for Communities and Local Government consultation on the Order to amend the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order.
The Executive considered a report on the implication for Stockport of the recent Agreement with Government to devolve functional and fiscal responsibilities alongside a staged approach to changes to Greater Manchester governance arrangements. The report also summarised the key themes to emerge from the debate at the Council Meeting on 27 November 2014. The Executive then agreed that
· the principles which have guided Greater Manchester’s approach to devolution and governance changes, as set out in the report, be endorsed;
· the wide ranging views of Members at the Council meeting on 27th November 2014 be noted, including:
- the need for the Combined Authority to increase its transparency and accountability, including consideration of the desire of some Members for direct election to the Mayoral Cabinet;
- the need for greater rigours in the processes of scrutiny of the Combined Authority and the Mayor;
- the willingness of Council Members to accept the creation of the post of Mayor of Greater Manchester, albeit reluctantly and on the basis that it proves the sole means of achieving delivery of the proposed devolved powers;
- the need to re-emphasise the core principle that devolution is a means of drawing power from Government to Greater Manchester, not of drawing power to Greater Manchester from the districts
· the proposed changes in governance be supported, including an Appointed Mayor as the 11th Member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) as a transition to a Directly Elected Mayor for Greater Manchester provided that this is the only means by which agreement on the devolution of the powers contained in the agreement can be reached;
· the balance between new powers to be vested in the Combined Authority as well as new powers to be vested in the directly elected Mayor who will be the Chair of GMCA and accountable to the Cabinet of Leaders in the exercise of those powers; and the Mayor and the Cabinet being subject of scrutiny by the GMCA Pool, be noted;
· that the proposed governance arrangements to reflect the circumstances within Greater Manchester which has a long track record of collaboration amongst the local authorities and with business be agreed.
· the Government and the range of local stakeholders be reminded that Stockport and Greater Manchester will remain fully committed to greater fiscal devolution and to working with other UK City Regions and London in particular to make the case for this over the coming months;
· the GMCA be recommended to conclude its statutory review of the Governance arrangements as soon as possible to enable a final scheme to be submitted to the Secretary of State as a pre-requisite to the changes being made to the Statutory Orders to give effect to the transitional arrangements;
· the GMCA be called upon to ensure that this review encompasses the need to ensure that the transparency and accountability of Leaders, acting on behalf of the Combined Authority, is improved and that formal scrutiny arrangements are reviewed and strengthened;
· authority be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Group Leaders to respond formally to the GMCA consultation on devolution in the terms set out in this report; and to finalise on behalf of Stockport, the Council’s response to the final terms of the Governance arrangements including the terms of the Statutory Order.