Greater London: the Government's Proposals
| Date | 01 March 1962 |
| Published date | 01 March 1962 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1962.tb01114.x |
Quarterly
Notes
Greater
London:
the
Government’s Proposals
In December
1957
a
Royal Commission was set up ‘to examine the present
system and working of local government in the Greater London area’ and
‘to
recommend whether any, and if
so
what, changes in the local govern-
ment structure and the distribution
of
local authority functions in the area
or
any part of it, would better secure effective and convenient local
government
.
.
.’
The
Herbert Commission, as it became known as after
its
Chairman Sir Edwin Herbert, reported in October
1960.
The Com-
mission recommended
a
radical reorganization of the structure of local
Xovernment in the Greater London area.* The Government’s proposals,
embodied in a White Paper? presented to Parliament last November,
idlow
closely those
of
the
Herbert Commission, subject to two important
qualifications.
‘1
HE
HEKBCRl
COMMISSIOK
The Commission’s findings fell into two broad categories. First, they found
that a number of important functions, such as town planning, traffic,
roads and overspill, were being administered by many different authorities
and needed much broader treatment than they were receiving under the
present system. Second, they found that for a variety of reasons the status
and responsibilities
of
boroughs and urban districts had seriously declined,
and they expressed
a
belief that the health of local government required
the rehabilitation of these authorities. They accordingly recommended
the establishment of a directly elected Council for Greater London which
would be responsible for those functions which could most suitably be
administered on an area-wide basis.
All
other functions were to be exercised
by the ‘Greater London Boroughs’, a new authority in the London area
produced by the enlargement and strengthening of existing local authorities.
The most important change was that the Greater London Borough would
become the primary unit of local government. The Government conclude
that
the
Commission were justified in criticizing the present structure
of
local government in the London area and save for two major exceptions
*For an analysis
of‘
the Commission’s proposals see Professor Robson’s article,
‘The
Reform
of
London Government’ in the Spring
1961
issue
of
Public
Administration.
A
detailed
summary
of the Report by
L.
J.
Sharpe appeared in
the
same issue.
?London Government. Government Proposals for Reorganisation. Cmnd.
1562.
91
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