Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the basis for the statement by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin on 20 June (Official Report, col. 222) that the evidence shows that executive governance arrangements are most likely to lead and support the strong and accountable leadership that local authorities need; what research they have undertaken on this matter and where it is published; and on what other research they are relying.
Answer
On 20 June, the Government published the research paper, Does Leadership Matter—a summary of evidence on the role and impact of political leadership in English local government. It brings together research evidence on the impact of the governance arrangements introduced through the Local Government Act 2000 in terms of strong and accountable leadership. There is also a series of reports from the independent evaluation of New Council Constitutions and the ethical framework undertaken for CLG by the University of Manchester. All these papers can be found on the department's website at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l137115.