NCTJ Public Affairs UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Local government - types of council - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 201 District councils (e.g.
North Devon District Council)
27 County councils (e.g. Devon County Council)
55 Unitary authorities (e.g. Cornwall)
36 Metropolitan districts (e.g. Salford City Council)
32 London boroughs (E.g. Camden Council)
+2 (City of London and Isles of Scilly)
353 major councils in England
(excluding Parish/ Town councils - there are 9,000/ 10,000 of them)
Two-tier authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Two-tiers of governance - county and district/ borough
Each tier has different responsibilities
Most councils had this structure up until 1990
After 1990, loads of mergers took place and unitary authorities were created
Hybrid authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
In areas where two-tier and unitary authorities co-exist
e.g. Brighton and Hove City Council (unitary) exists alongside a two-tier structure of East
Sussex County Council and several lower tier authorities, including Lewes district council
Unitary authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Integrated approach to governance, they run all local services
Mergers after 1990's led to creation of these
,Combined authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
New tier of local government
In nine areas (e.g. Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region)
Resources of two or more existing councils are 'pooled'
Allows neighbouring councils to collaborate and make collective decisions (e.g. on transport
which spans across multiple council areas)
Get additional funding
Powers of combined authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Integrated transport authority
Economic prosperity board
Can borrow money on open market
Elected mayors (e.g Burnham)
In Manchester, this authority controls the NHS budget and policing
Cornwall Council - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Created a unitary authority in 2009
Merger of one county and six district councils
123 members
Boundary Commission proposed to reduce member numbers to 87
Budget = £1 billion +
Metropolitan districts - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Govern metropolitan (city) areas
Effectively unitary authorities
e.g. Greater Manchester, Merseyside
Responsibilities of county councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Education (schools, FE)
Social services
Highways
,Refuse disposal (landfill)
Emergency planning
Culture and leisure
Strategic planning
Passenger transport
Unitary authorities run all of these
Responsibilities of district/ borough councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Environmental
health
Development control
Housing and homeless
Refuse collection and recycling
Council tax collection
Car parks
Strategic planning
Licensing
Unitary authorities run all of these
Local government services and Whitehall - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- For each service
provided by a local authority, the authority works closely with the appropriate Whitehall
department(s)
Local: Highways
Central: Dept. for Transport
Local: Council Tax
Central: Treasury and Dept. for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Parish and Town councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 9,000/ 10,000 of these in England
, Beneath district/ borough or unitary councils
Often have mayors (ceremonial)
Towns with more than 150 residents must have a council
Towns with less than 150 must meet annually
Known as community councils in Wales and Scotland
e.g. Falmouth Town Council
Role of Parish and Town councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Voice of the community
Low-level, minor local facilities (e.g. benches, bus-shelters, burial grounds)
Must be consulted on planning applications
Different systems of local governance - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Executive arrangements/
executive style models:
-Directly elected mayor (DEM) and Cabinet model (e.g. Greater London Authority
-Leader and Cabinet model (e.g. Cornwall Council)
Alternative arrangements:
-Old-style committee system (more debating in the chamber)
Leader and Cabinet model - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Leader:
-Elected by councillors
Cabinet:
-Leader selects members, allocating portfolios
-Cabinet members have signif powers to implement decisions
-Doesn't always have to meet in public
Committees:
-Overview and Scrutiny committees - groups of councillors reflecting portfolios of cabinet
and can challenge/ advise cabinet members
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Local government - types of council - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 201 District councils (e.g.
North Devon District Council)
27 County councils (e.g. Devon County Council)
55 Unitary authorities (e.g. Cornwall)
36 Metropolitan districts (e.g. Salford City Council)
32 London boroughs (E.g. Camden Council)
+2 (City of London and Isles of Scilly)
353 major councils in England
(excluding Parish/ Town councils - there are 9,000/ 10,000 of them)
Two-tier authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Two-tiers of governance - county and district/ borough
Each tier has different responsibilities
Most councils had this structure up until 1990
After 1990, loads of mergers took place and unitary authorities were created
Hybrid authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
In areas where two-tier and unitary authorities co-exist
e.g. Brighton and Hove City Council (unitary) exists alongside a two-tier structure of East
Sussex County Council and several lower tier authorities, including Lewes district council
Unitary authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Integrated approach to governance, they run all local services
Mergers after 1990's led to creation of these
,Combined authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
New tier of local government
In nine areas (e.g. Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region)
Resources of two or more existing councils are 'pooled'
Allows neighbouring councils to collaborate and make collective decisions (e.g. on transport
which spans across multiple council areas)
Get additional funding
Powers of combined authority - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Integrated transport authority
Economic prosperity board
Can borrow money on open market
Elected mayors (e.g Burnham)
In Manchester, this authority controls the NHS budget and policing
Cornwall Council - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Created a unitary authority in 2009
Merger of one county and six district councils
123 members
Boundary Commission proposed to reduce member numbers to 87
Budget = £1 billion +
Metropolitan districts - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Structure of local government
Govern metropolitan (city) areas
Effectively unitary authorities
e.g. Greater Manchester, Merseyside
Responsibilities of county councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Education (schools, FE)
Social services
Highways
,Refuse disposal (landfill)
Emergency planning
Culture and leisure
Strategic planning
Passenger transport
Unitary authorities run all of these
Responsibilities of district/ borough councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Environmental
health
Development control
Housing and homeless
Refuse collection and recycling
Council tax collection
Car parks
Strategic planning
Licensing
Unitary authorities run all of these
Local government services and Whitehall - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- For each service
provided by a local authority, the authority works closely with the appropriate Whitehall
department(s)
Local: Highways
Central: Dept. for Transport
Local: Council Tax
Central: Treasury and Dept. for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Parish and Town councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- 9,000/ 10,000 of these in England
, Beneath district/ borough or unitary councils
Often have mayors (ceremonial)
Towns with more than 150 residents must have a council
Towns with less than 150 must meet annually
Known as community councils in Wales and Scotland
e.g. Falmouth Town Council
Role of Parish and Town councils - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Voice of the community
Low-level, minor local facilities (e.g. benches, bus-shelters, burial grounds)
Must be consulted on planning applications
Different systems of local governance - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Executive arrangements/
executive style models:
-Directly elected mayor (DEM) and Cabinet model (e.g. Greater London Authority
-Leader and Cabinet model (e.g. Cornwall Council)
Alternative arrangements:
-Old-style committee system (more debating in the chamber)
Leader and Cabinet model - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔- Leader:
-Elected by councillors
Cabinet:
-Leader selects members, allocating portfolios
-Cabinet members have signif powers to implement decisions
-Doesn't always have to meet in public
Committees:
-Overview and Scrutiny committees - groups of councillors reflecting portfolios of cabinet
and can challenge/ advise cabinet members
