Local Public Accounts Committees: promised exploration, still no place-based spending scrutiny

Integrated settlements now hand Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities multi-billion-pound flexible budgets, but scrutiny remains each authority's own overview-and-scrutiny committee: part-time councillors reviewing their own mayor, with no audit-linked follow-the-pound capability. The December 2024 English Devolution White Paper committed only to 'explore' the Local Public Accounts Committee model that the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny has developed since 2013; the 2026 Act strengthened overview-and-scrutiny requirements but created no LPACs. The NAO's 'Devolution in England: funding and accountability' work has flagged that accountability arrangements lag the funding flexibility being devolved. No institution examines value for money across all public spending in a place: council, strategic authority, NHS, police.

Devolution's durability depends on visible local accountability. Without place-based, audit-connected scrutiny of integrated settlements, the first mayoral spending scandal will be caught late and trigger a recentralising backlash that discredits the whole settlement.

Statutory Local Public Accounts Committees for Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, piloted in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, with independent membership, a small secretariat, and reporting lines to the LAO and NAO. Sponsors: MHCLG (secondary legislation under the 2026 Act); CfGS design; philanthropy could fund a two-area pilot.

// Build together: Counterparty: GMCA or WMCA hosting a philanthropy-funded two-area pilot LPAC before secondary-legislation rollout.

Multi-billion integrated settlements are scrutinised only by part-time councillors reviewing their own mayor; the model is designed and the 2026 Act opens a secondary-legislation window.