DEVOLUTION: What will the mayor be responsible for?

Responsibility for local bus services, which will support the CA’s delivery of affordable Oyster-style smart ticketing

Responsibility for a ‘spatial framework’ which will identify areas of housing and business growth

Responsibility for chairing the Joint Assets Board which will ensure that decisions over land and other assets bring economic growth.

How will the new mayor work?

The mayor will chair the Combined Authority and the members will make up the mayor’s cabinet.

The mayor and CA will be scrutinised and held to account by the SCR Overview and Scrutiny Committee(s) – in turn made up of the chairs of scrutiny from each local authority in the city region.

The mayor will develop strategies with the CA.

The Cabinet will also examine the mayor’s spending plans and will be able to amend them if two-thirds of the constituent members agree to do so.

The mayor will have an equal vote on the CA as other voting members. The mayor will be a member of the Local Enterprise Partnership, alongside the other members of the CA, recognising the importance of the private sector in local economic growth.

What if the mayor wants to do things that our local leaders don’t agree with?

The mayor will need to consult her/his cabinet on their strategies and spending plans and the cabinet will have powers to reject decisions.

We have spent many years building strong working relationships across both the public and private sectors and those relationships will stand us in good stead.

Will the mayor have control over the emergency services, as in London? 
No. This is an economic deal.