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How laws are made in local government
Local and devolved government
Devolved government
Since 1997 many areas of government have been devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which have their own parliaments/ assemblies.
In England some areas of government are devolved to
1. County Councils
2. District or Borough Councils
3. Parish and town councils
There are also unitary authorities and Metropolitan districts that combine the top two tiers.
All powers at whatever tier are defined by Parliament. This is unlike the US where powers at each level are defined in the Constitution. The UK has now written constitution.
Discussion point. Which services should be run by central government and which by local government?
Parliamentary control is also exercised through control of local government spending. A large part of a local authority's revenue is provided in the form of central government grants.