Week 7: Councils Flashcards
(a) Explain the local government system of executive style decision making and identify one other model used by councils in Scotland (10 marks)
Local councils in Scotland are led by the Leader of the council and a civic leader (Provost or Convenor) is elected by the local authority. The civic leader is known as the Lord Provost in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Committees are formed as a result of the full council meeting of the local authority.
The full council meeting is the governing body of the local authority, where all councillors meet to debate and take the key decisions of the authority. This involves the election of the Leader and civic leader.
Some local government decisions can only be made by the full council. These include setting the annual budget and council tax, electing the convenor and deputy convenor and appointing councillors to committees.
(b) Outline the role and powers of scrutiny committees (5 marks)
The role of the scrutiny committees is to act as a check and balance on cabinet decisions.
Scrutiny committees have the power to “call in” a decision and can make recommendations back to the cabinet.
[Mention may be made of the perceived toothless nature of these committees as the cabinet does not have to accept the recommendations.]
c) You are going to interview the leader of the council on the issue. List FIVE questions you would put to him (5 marks)
Questions could be on a range of topics including…
the decision to close the day care centres
the impact on the centres’ clients and their families
the constraints on council budgets
the effect of austerity
the overall problems of social care for the elderly and the attitude of the cabinet towards the scrutiny committee, etc.
Explain the models of Cabinet and Committee systems of council governance. (10 marks)
Cabinet system: Voters elect their councillors as usual and the leader is elected by councillors – usually the leader of the largest party on the council.
The leader selects a small number of senior councillors (in proportion to party strength) to form a cabinet and each cabinet member takes responsibility for a particular portfolio. (Similar to Scot Govt. or UK govt. cabinet)
Committee system: councils have a number of committees covering main council service areas.
Most committees are large with membership in proportion to party strength.
All councillors serve on one or more committees.
Briefly outline the main advantages and/or disadvantages of executive style decision making compared to committee style. (5 marks)
Executive style decision vs. committee style
executive style is said to be quicker and more efficient vs. committee style is said to be slower
executive style is said to give the executive too much power vs. committee style is said to be more democratic as all elected councillors get a say in the decision making process through committees
executive style is divisive with most of power concentrated in cabinet.
Committee vs executive?
Other Councils have dispensed with traditional committee structures in favour Of executive structures, with responsibility for most strategic decisions delegated to an executive committee.
For example, Fife Council recently adopted the executive committee structure with 20 members drawn from the 78 elected councillors. In this kind of structure, it is the role of non-executive elected members to scrutinise the executive’s activities,
What is the difference between revenue and capital budgets? (5 marks)
Revenue expenditure - spending on items and services that will last for less than a year and not produce an asset. These include running costs such as salaries, heating costs and interest payments.
Capital expenditure - which is money spent on long-term durable assets such as new buildings and development projects.
Outline the different sources for revenue spending, indicating which are locally determined and which are determined by central government. (10 marks)
Local authorities get grants from central government. – Block grant and other grants for specific projects.
Mention must be made of the national non-domestic rates/uniform business rates and that this is centrally set, locally collected but centrally distributed.
Council tax which is a local authority set and collected domestic property tax.
Rents, fees and charges [and the fact that they have become a more significant source of revenue funding.] Examples may be given. [Mention may be made of balances and reserves.]
examples include:
Leisure facilities
Private contractors
List FIVE newsworthy issues relating to the funding of local authority revenue expenditure. (5 marks)
x
Block grant
Scottish Government budget for 2019-20
£11.86 billion was spent on local governments
Second biggest area spend after health.
Council tax
A tax based on where your property is, how big it is and its value.
Different bands which equate to different amounts
Eight bands – A to H
A usually the lowest, with H, the highest.
Certain exemptions and discounts; 25% single person’s discount, unoccupied second home, student discount or exemption, disabilities etc.
Top band starts with houses valued at over£212,000 (approx.)
Have a look at this website for your local council and the different band levels… https://www.mygov.scot/council-tax/what-is-council-tax/
Non-domestic rates
Non-domestic rates, also called business rates, are taxes paid on non-domestic properties to help pay for local council services.
The Scottish Government is responsible for the policy and legislative framework and set the tax rates, but individual councils administer and collect the tax.
Non-domestic rates are based on the rateable value of a property, which is determined by the independent Scottish Assessors.
At the budget meeting of your local council the cabinet member for finance has said that there is not enough money this year for capital expenditure. Briefly outline the different ways councils can raise capital money.
Capital grants from government capital receipts Borrowing private sector partnerships some revenue sources.
(a) Explain the duties and responsibilities of local councils in Scotland including the role of community councils (15 marks)
Local authorities in Scotland are all unitary councils and have mandatory and permissive (not obligatory) powers.
Mandatory powers include…
the provision of pre-school and school education
environmental services (including rubbish collection and food standards), economic regeneration,
building control and planning,
licensing of premises and taxi services etc,
to work - and fund - in partnership with local NHS Boards, the provision of integrated health and social care.
provision of a library service, roads maintenance (except for trunk routes and motorways).
administer some central government funded initiatives like concessionary bus travel for over 60s].
Permissive (not obligatory) services include…
leisure and recreation (ranging from sports centres to public parks and outdoor recreation)
arts facilities
car parking
local promotional activities.
Local community councils exist to represent the views of citizens at a more localised, often neighbourhood, level.
Candidates may mention that community councillors are elected by local residents who wish to attend community council meetings and are unpaid.
(b) Identify FIVE initiatives available to empower local communities in decision making. (5 marks)
The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 has placed community planning on a statutory basis. Initiatives to involve communities in decision making could include:
Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) must involve local community bodies in the community planning process which brings together the main public sector service providers to articulate local outcome plans.
The community has the ‘right to buy’ abandoned land or land which has been neglected or is detrimental to the community’s wellbeing - now extended to urban areas.
There is also a right to make requests to local authorities, Scottish Government and other public bodies to transfer assets to community bodies.
Participation requests can be made by community groups with regard to how the community’s voice is heard in the way services are planned and delivered.
Local authorities are also required by statute to consult community councils about planning applications and licensing matters.’
