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As the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government outlines plans for a ‘Big society', in which Whitehall has less control of public services, new ‘decentralisation' minister, Greg Clark, explains to Mark Conrad how the plan will affect local government. CLG ‘decentralisation' minister, Greg Clark, has told LocalGov.co.uk sister title The MJ he will take a ‘devolution first' approach to local government, promising to loosen – and, in some cases, abandon altogether – Whitehall's tight reins on local public service provision, spending and inspection. Greg Clark: ‘The role of government shouldn't be to impose decisions on people' In his first major interview since taking office, Mr Clark said ‘the role of government shouldn't be to impose decisions on people, it should be to help and empower people in communities to make their own decisions – a supporting role rather than a role of imposition'. Speaking after prime minister, David Cameron, revealed his ‘Big society' pledge to hand councils a ‘general power of competence' to manage local public services free from heavy Whitehall interference, Mr Clark also hinted at wide-ranging financial freedoms for councils under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, as well as a greatly-reduced audit and inspection regime. Local government and its partners, he said, were ready to assume far greater control and oversight of public services, and should be accountable to residents, not central government. He also promised to move swiftly to ensure other Whitehall departments joined the CLG in devolving powers to communities. ‘Over many years now, we've seen more and more power being taken into the centre, and government coming to be seen to be about decisions which are imposed on people. I think Mr Cameron sees that the exact opposite is now required,' Mr Clark said. Referring to central government practices he wanted to attack, he said: ‘Targets imposed from Whitehall; centrally-controlled funding, which is often ring-fenced and with lots of strings attached; audit and inspection arrangements that describe in great detail not just what should be done, but also how they should be done; and very inflexible terms and conditions.' He criticised the ‘paradox' of past governments which turned to councils or voluntary bodies to deliver tough policy programmes, but then stymied local managers' and elected leaders' ability to innovate and adjust policies to deliver top-class services. ‘I think we need to let go, in terms of funding, and be prepared to empower [local] bodies... to provide funds for a purpose without specifying in minute detail how they're supposed to use it,' he said. Mr Cameron's proposed power of general competence for councils – under which town halls could undertake any activity in the best interests of their locality which is not explicitly outlawed – was an example of the coalition government's desired approach, he said. ‘Rather than people who have been elected to central government specifying in detail, and rather grudgingly, what colleagues in local government should be allowed to do... I think local councils should be responsible to their electorate. ‘If there's a role [in improving localities] which councils can play that central government may not have envisaged for them, then it should be up to councils to pursue that, and they'll be accountable to their local electorate.' ‘The general power of competence encapsulates the difference [between the new government and past regimes] and turns things on its head...it says, "You do it your way and we will support you, and if you prosper, that's something to celebrate". It's a role reversal,' he said. On audit and inspection, the new minister, a former Conservative director of policy, said it had ‘become the case that authorities and organisations funded by the state are often judged not by their outcomes', and said he would explore a ‘loosening of the reins and a more empowering inspection regime'. ‘Of course, we need to ensure we get value for money, and that services are being commissioned and provided. But it seems to me that we should be assessing those aspects, such as performance, which need to be assessed, and not whether they happen to have been operated in accordance with some template that was designed centrally,' he explained. Asked whether, having been heavily monitored by Whitehall for so long, local government and community-based organisations were ready to assume greater responsibility for services, he said: ‘I think local government is well equipped – we're pushing at an open door. Local government leaders have been begging central government to let go for some time now, on the basis of demonstrated competence. ‘The idea that departments in Whitehall have the monopoly of wisdom and good practice is incredibly patronising, and often the reversal of the truth. I think part of our [programme] is to give the right of initiative to civil society to tell government what it should be doing, rather than the approach that the Government tells local government and civil society how to act.' Mr Clark is expected to reveal more details of the Government's decentralisation plans over the summer.

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WHITEHALL

Government 'is ready to loosen Whitehall's reins'

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