Greater London Authority Act 1999

Greater London Authority Act 1999
Title	Greater London Authority Act 1999
Enacted by	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Year	1999
Statute book chapter	1999 c.29
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Royal assent	1999
Status	Amended

Greater London Authority Act 1999 The Greater London Authority Act 1999 established a directly elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly as devolved institutions for Greater London, creating a strategic tier of regional administration for the City of London, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Camden, Islington, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Merton, Sutton, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Hounslow, Harrow, Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Hackney, Wandsworth, Hillingdon, Ealing, Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow boroughs. The Act followed the recommendations of the Royal Commission on London Government (corfi?) and the Greater London Council abolition debates, inaugurating governance arrangements later influenced by Local Government Act 2000, London Local Authorities Act, and subsequent legislative instruments.

Background and Legislative Context

The Act arose after high-profile inquiries and policy debates including the Royal Commission on the Constitution, the Scarman Report, and the aftermath of the abolition of the Greater London Council influenced by the Thatcher ministry and the policies of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. Political momentum generated by figures such as Ken Livingstone, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Alastair Campbell, Chancellor of the Exchequer deliberations and campaigns by civil society groups like Campaign for Local Government Reform and think tanks including the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Centre for Policy Studies shaped the White Paper that led to the Act. Debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords referenced precedents in devolution such as the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, and drew comparisons with metropolitan governance models in New York City, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo and Madrid.

Provisions and Structure of the Act

The Act set out the constitutional framework, establishing the statutory offices of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly and specifying electoral arrangements linked to the Greater London Authority elections, with connections to the Electoral Commission and the Representation of the People Act 1983. It created institutional relationships with transport bodies including Transport for London, the statutory duties to liaise with operators such as London Underground Limited, Network Rail, and the private sector firms like Stagecoach Group, Arriva, Go-Ahead Group. The Act delineated planning responsibilities aligning with policy instruments like the London Plan, statutory instruments referencing the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and interfaces with the Mayor of London’s planning decisions and borough planning authorities such as Haringey Council and Westminster City Council.

Powers and Functions of the Mayor and Assembly

The Act conferred executive powers on the Mayor of London including authority over transport strategy administered via Transport for London, strategic planning powers manifested in the London Plan, and functions related to fire and emergency planning alongside London Fire Brigade coordination. Scrutiny and checks were provided by the London Assembly which could question and hold to account the Mayor of London and scrutinise appointments and budgets. The Act enabled collaboration with external bodies such as Metropolitan Police Service, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, Environment Agency, Natural England, and regional partnerships with the Local Government Association and London Councils.

Financial and Administrative Arrangements

Financial provisions established budgetary procedures, precepting powers affecting billing authorities including City of Westminster, arrangements for the Greater London Authority's consolidated budget, and the imposition of a precept on council tax within the framework overseen by the Treasury and audited under protocols involving the National Audit Office. The Act created mechanisms for funding devolved functions via grants, levies and charges connected to revenue sources such as fares managed by Transport for London and capital investment programs that interfaced with institutions like the European Investment Bank and later Public Works Loan Board borrowing rules. Staffing and corporate governance drew on employment law precedents like the Employment Rights Act 1996 and procurement obligations influenced by the Public Contracts Regulations.

Amendments, Implementation and Impact

Subsequent legislative amendments and statutory instruments, including measures introduced by the Greater London Authority Act 2007, Localism Act 2011, and policy shifts under administrations of Mayors Boris Johnson, Sadiq Khan, and predecessors altered scope and implementation. Implementation required coordination with bodies such as London Development Agency, erstwhile entities like the London Development Agency and successor agencies, and impacted urban regeneration projects in locations such as Canary Wharf, Stratford Olympic Park, Kings Cross Central, Battersea Power Station, and Nine Elms. The Act influenced transport modernization projects like the Crossrail (Elizabeth line), cycling initiatives such as Santander Cycle Hire Scheme, and public realm investment connected to Transport for London policy.

Controversies and Legal Challenges

The Act generated legal and political disputes involving judicial review claims brought in courts including the High Court of Justice and references to House of Lords judicial precedents (prior to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom era), with cases touching on planning decisions, procurement contests, and the scope of mayoral powers. Controversies included tensions between the Mayor of London and individual boroughs such as Barking and Dagenham and Hackney over planning consents, disputes over transport fares involving Transport for London and trade unions like the RMT and Unite the Union, and debates over democratic accountability raised by academics at London School of Economics, University College London, and policy commentators in outlets like The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, and Evening Standard.

Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1999