15 January 2009

London's governance overview

LONDON’S GOVERNMENT OPERATES WITHIN A RELATIVELY CENTRALISED, UNITARY STATE.
SEVERAL CENTRAL DEPARTEMENTS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THE CITY, INCLUDING HEALTH PROVISION, THE REGULATION OF COMMUTER RAILWAYS AND A FINAL ARBITER FOR MAJOR PLANING DISPUTES.
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF REGULATORY POWERS OVER THE MAYOR AND THE CITY’S BOROUGHS.
THE MAYOR OF LONDON IS THE ELECTED EXECUTIVE FOR A NUMBER OF MAJOR CITY-CITYWIDE SERVICES, NOTABLY PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND SPATIAL PLANING. THE MAYOR IS OVERSEEN BY AN ELECTED, NON-LEGISLATIVE, ASSEMBLY.
THERE ARE ALSO 32 ELECTED BOROUGH COUNCILS WHOSE RESPONSABILITIES INCLUDE SCHOOLS, SOCIAL CARE, THE ENVIRONNMENT, LOCAL TRANSPORT AND LOCAL PLANING; THE CITY OF LONDON, THE UK CAPITAL’S FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS HUB, HAS THE POWERS OF A BOROUGH BUT ALSO SEVERAL ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILIIES.
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LONDON’S TRANSPORT AUTHORITY:
- The Greater London Authority (GLA):
The Greater London Authority consists of four ’functional bodies’ and a core administration at City Hall. Transport for London (TfL) is the largest of these functional bodies, with a turnover of £6 billion in 2006-07.
The Mayor of London sets its budget and chairs the TfL board, which he also appoints.

-Transport for London (TfL):
TfL is one of the most powerful local transport organisations in the world, with responsibility for London’s Underground, buses, major roads, river services and taxi & minicab regulation.
TfL, in common with the other GLA functional bodies, is a local authority and thus subject to much of the general legislation affecting such institutions. Its turnover is funded from fares (user charges) and government grants, with broadly half of its income coming from each source.
TfL’s predecessor organisations (such as London Regional Transport, the Highways Agency and the Public Carriage Office) did not borrow for capital purposes. Their capital expenditure was funded by government grant. As a result, TfL started its life debt-free. In advance of TfL taking control of London Underground, the government signed a controversial 30-year public-private partnership (PPP) deal to refurbish and renew the Tube. The service charge on the PPP contracts costs about £1.1 billion per year, funded by Treasury grant.

Source: The endless city-Urban Edge

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