Block grant was introduced by the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980. The grant, which is paid for out of central government taxation and borrowing, partially equalises between local authorities' different rateable values and between a government measure of their spending needs. In...

London Authority, consisting of a Mayor and Assembly, is an oddity: it is both a renewal of London city government and a component of the Labour government's devolution reforms which have set out some of the parameters for devolution to the other English regions. The GLA's powers are strategic...

The authors examine two main research issues. First, they focus on the way in which funds for education are targeted on disadvantage at the level of the local education authority (LEA). They explore the relationship between various indicators of disadvantage and national test and public...

Innovation in European Cities sets out the context for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ European Mayors Challenge. It gives an overview of the key themes facing European cities today and provides an independent analysis of the 155 submissions to the award and a detailed review of the five winning...

This report considers the potential/appropriate role for local authorities (LAs) in relation to the downturn phase of the current recession. It focuses on the most valuable functions which they can fulfil in this context, and takes a cautious view about the potential for extending any boost to...

This CASEbrief summarises 'Paying for health, education and housing: how does the centre pull the purse strings?' by Howard Glennerster, John Hills and Tony Travers, with Ross Hendry, published by the Oxford University Press

Density and Urban Neighbourhoods in London has been carried out by a research team at the Enterprise LSE Cities, from February 2003 to July 2004, as one of a series of research initiatives funded by Minerva plc, through a five-year programme coordinated by the Minerva LSE Research Group. The...

This study, commissioned by the London Councils, was developed to investigate and measure a number of impacts of population mobility and transience on London boroughs. Looking at the scale of recent migration and other mobility affecting the capital; the existing sources of research into the...

This paper relates the processes of strategic planning in London during the first decade of an executive Mayoral system to Doug Yates’ thesis about the ungovernability of major cities and London’s long history of conflict around metropolitan governance issues. Yates’ thesis only partially...