DEVOLUTION AND REGIONALISM IN THE UK

REPORT OF THE LA POLICY ADVISORY GROUP

0 Executive Summary

1 Setting the scene

2 The new constitutional framework

2.1 England
2.2 London
2.3 Northern Ireland
2.4 Scotland
2.5 Wales

3 The emerging landscape

4 Issues raised by devolution & regionalism

4.1 The LIS sector in the nations and regions
4.2 The LA/new professional body in the nations and regions
4.3 Cross-cutting themes

5 Summary of recommendations

Appendix 1 UK Home Nations: political, economic and cultural organisations & frameworks

Appendix 2 UK Home Nations: education and lifelong learning organisations & frameworks

Appendix 3 UK Home Nations:  LIS organisations & frameworks

Appendix 4 National, regional & broad sectoral breakdown of LA personal membership

Appendix 5 Agendas for a new organisation

Appendix 6 PAG membership and Terms of Reference

Individual papers prepared by members of the PAG to follow.

0 Executive Summary

0.1 The impact of devolution and regionalism on UK governance and society is profound and the process of change is set to continue (Section 1, Setting the scene)

0.2 There is considerable diversity in the UK landscape across the Home Nations of England, Scotland and Wales and in the province of Northern Ireland in terms of constitutional powers.  Within the 9 regions of England, London is the only region so far with an elected assembly, although again this is likely to change (Section 2, The new constitutional framework)

0.3 The PAG has identified the significant impact of this diversity on the topography of organisational structures at UK, national and regional level in relation to 3 selected themes: Lifelong Learning & Skills, Generating & Regenerating the Economy, and Citizenship & Culture. The current LA membership profile is reviewed in relation to location, employment category and cross-sectoral LIS breakdown (Section 3, The emerging landscape, and Appendices 1-4)

0.4 Policy issues for the LA/new professional body emerging from the devolution and regionalism agenda are identified and linked to three action focuses: issues for the LIS profession, those specifically for the LA/new body, and issues related to the 3 themes outlined in 0.3 (Section 4, Policy issues raised by devolution and regionalism)

0.5 Twenty-three recommendations are made which flow from the policy issues in 0.4:

• fragmentation and integration: the challenges of diversity and new alliances
• the English regional development initiative of LA/BL/Resource
• the organisation and structure of the new professional body
• new roles for branches, impact on governance of new professional body, partnership with regional library development agencies
• innovation in delivery of membership services
• the impact of the cross-sectoral nature of lifelong learning
• the role of the profession in economic regeneration and the knowledge economy
• alignment of and communication by the professional body with the new democratic and cultural structures. 

(Section 5, Recommendations, and Appendix 5)

The presentation of this report to the Policy and Resources Committee on 31 May will focus on these recommendations.

1. Setting the scene