Hain unveils major local government shake up

Secretary of State Peter Hain has unveiled plans for the biggest shake up in Northern Ireland's local government in over a quarter of a century.

Under the new proposals which follows a Review of Public Administration, Mr Hain described the plans as "the greatest single challenge to the public sector in Northern Ireland in over 30 years".

The radical restructuring plans will see:

• 26 councils reduced to seven super councils;
• Maximum of 50 councillors per council;
• Planning responsibility returns to councils;
• Assembly members not allowed to sit on councils;
• Councils to devise community plans for delivery of local needs.

“As a result of the decisions I am announcing today the total number of public bodies in health and social services, education and local government will be reduced from 67 to 20. This is a very significant reduction, shifting the emphasis from administration to front line services. This is a people agenda, not a Party agenda," Mr Hain said.

The Secretary of State said he was under no illusions about the size and scale of this radical reform programme and that he wanted to move quickly across a number of areas. “Throughout the Review, we have been told there is an urgent need for change and we must now take decisions," he continued. "For a place the size of Northern Ireland, 5,400 square miles with a population of 1.7 million people, we are both over-governed and over-administered. Public expenditure per head is nearly one third higher than in the UK overall. But public spending is not matched in many areas by the levels of performance such spending should achieve."

Mr Hain confirmed that local Government in Northern Ireland would be based on seven Councils, stating that the time had come for a stronger, reinvigorated delivery structure. “I have considered the evidence of the research commissioned as part of the Review, and the analysis of the further consultation," he said. "All this pointed to seven Councils as the optimum for service delivery and I have decided that this should be the model for the future. We also propose to bring back to Local Government a number of major functions such as planning, local roads, physical regeneration and local economic development."

Mr Hain said that reforming health structures would lead to the improved delivery of services for patients, driven by, planned for, and responsive to, the needs of patients.

A new Strategic Health and Social Services Authority will replace the existing four Health and Social Services Boards, which will be abolished. The new Regional Health Authority will have a responsibility for ensuring strong, system-wide performance management and the effective allocation of valuable health and social services resources. The existing 18 HPSS Trusts will be reduced to five.

Mr Hain highlighted that education would provide the cornerstone for the future prosperity of the Northern Ireland economy and is the key platform upon which to build long-term peace based on mutual respect.

“The hub of future administration for education will be built upon a new single Education Authority which will bring together all the direct support functions currently undertaken by the five Education and Library Boards and the range of other organisations funded by Government. This body will incorporate curriculum and teacher support functions," he said.

Mr Hain said he would also make a further announcement on the remaining quangos and executive agencies within Departments before the end of March 2006 but noted that he expected this announcement to include the transfer of further functions to Local Government.

(MB/SP)