Decision details

To note progress with the Devolution Combined Authority following decisions taken at Council in November.

Matter for Noting

In November 2016, Cambridge City Council and its partner authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership all voted to agree the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Devolution Deal. The report provided an update on those processes and progress towards implementation.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Chief Executive.  The Leader updated the scrutiny committee on the progress since the first meeting of the Shadow Combined Authority (14.12.16).  The next meeting was to take place on 31 January and the agenda had been published.  Once the Statutory Instrument for the Combined Authority had been approved by both Houses of Parliament, expected in mid-March, the Combined Authority would meet and agree its Standing Orders and first funding allocations. The Leader had been allocated the Communities Portfolio.

Cllr Bick made the following comments in response to the report:

     i.        Did the Leader support the LEP having a vote on the shadow Combined Authority?

    ii.        Was there a definition of the portfolio holders and the powers that those portfolio holders have?

   iii.        What plans were there for pre-scrutiny of the City Council’s Combined Authority representatives?

  iv.        What about future negotiations ie. Devolution 2?

The Chief Executive responded on ii. and iii..  The portfolios were described in the agenda for the shadow Combined Authority meeting on 31 January and would be circulated. In terms of pre-scrutiny (a report would be considered at Civic Affairs Committee on 15 February), any process should not duplicate the work of the Combined Authority’s own overview and scrutiny arrangements and the Council would wish to review any interim arrangements it had in place once the work of the formal Combined Authority gets established.

The Leader stated that he wanted to see the LEP integrate with the Combined Authority rather than see long term duplication by the two bodies and he did not vote against the LEP being given a vote at Combined Authority meetings.  On the portfolios, these were shadow and by the March meeting of the Combined Authority there would be clearer portfolios set out.  There was likely to be further changes after the Mayoral elections/Annual Council Meetings in May.  On Devolution 2, as the Government has changed the budgetary cycle to the autumn initial discussions were yet to be had with them.

It was noted that there was no decision to be taken by the Executive Councillor and that the Labour and Liberal Democrat Group Leaders would provide a nominee each for the Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be ratified by the Council on 23 February.