My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently announced plans for NHS England to appoint new National Health Service integrated care board chairs in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, who will also serve as the Mayor’s Health Commissioner.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill allows a commissioner to be delegated some functions of the combined authority, if considered necessary.

Reporting jointly to the health service and democratically elected local mayors, these new leaders will be expected to mobilise partners locally to improve health outcomes for the local population, including by supporting delivery of the three key shifts we have set out in the 10-Year Plan: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. No additional NHS performance indicators have been set centrally.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, recently announced plans for NHS England to appoint new National Health Service integrated care board chairs in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, who will also serve as the Mayor’s Health Commissioner.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill allows a commissioner to be delegated some functions of the combined authority, if considered necessary.

Reporting jointly to the health service and democratically elected local mayors, these new leaders will be expected to mobilise partners locally to improve health outcomes for the local population, including by supporting delivery of the three key shifts we have set out in the 10-Year Plan: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. No additional NHS performance indicators have been set centrally.

Evidence in a report by Ernst & Young in 2016 showed that around £30 million of savings could be realised annually by unitarisation. However, I am sure that other evidence will be brought forward during the individual discussions that are taking place where authorities want to unitarise.

Sheffield City Region leaders agreed on 27 January that they would launch on 3 February the statutorily required consultation which is the next step towards implementing the Sheffield City Region Devolution Deal. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the statutory tests being met, and to the necessary Order being consented to by the South Yorkshire councils and approved by Parliament, the people of South Yorkshire will from this year be able to benefit from the Deal, including from the £30 million annual investment funds.

Our devolution deal with Sheffield City Region agreed a range of powers and responsibilities to be devolved to the mayoral combined authority, including substantial investment funding which will provide the region with £30 million per year for a 30 year period, devolution of the adult education budget, and a multi-year transport budget.

£61.5 million of devolution deal related transport funding has been transferred to Sheffield City Region to date. However, the City Region are yet to take the necessary statutory steps to launch their consultation on the powers needed to empower the Mayor and put the full devolution deal into effect – and until this is done, the region will not receive their investment funding. We have however provided Sheffield City Region with Mayoral Capacity Funding (£1 million per year for 18/19 and 19/20) to support it as a newly established strategic economic institution.

My Lords, the Government’s priority remains completing the Sheffield City Region devolution deal, which would bring £900 million of investment to that region. To achieve this, the next step is for the Sheffield City Region to undertake the statutory consultation on the powers to be devolved and we will continue to support the city region mayor in his commitment to implement this deal.

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble Lord’s service to Sheffield City Council—indeed, as leader at one stage. Regarding the deal, the best legal advice given both to the mayor and to us is that consultation is necessary, so that is the

next statutory step and it is what we are pressing for. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State has indicated to the Select Committee that he will be making a statement on devolution in general during the autumn. I do not think that he has any specific plans to meet the four city leaders as the way forward is quite clear regarding the statutory requirements.

The Government remains clear that the people of South Yorkshire can benefit significantly from devolution. The consolidated transport budget of £20.6 million per annum to 2020/21 has been given to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority since 2017/18, giving the area greater flexibility over how to fund highway maintenance and other strategic transport improvements, and the Bus Services Act 2017 makes provision in relation to bus franchising for mayoral combined authorities. No further budgets or powers will be devolved unless and until all of the statutory requirements are satisfied, including the area undertaking the necessary consultation.

As I told the House on 31 October 2017 in response to a question from the noble Lord [in Written Answer HL2234], if the leaders of the Sheffield City Region do not at some stage undertake the consultation they will have chosen to walk away from the deal. This would deny the people of the City Region some £1 billion investment from Government and the opportunity for the area to have new powers on transport, development, and skills.

The Government remains clear that the people of South Yorkshire can benefit significantly from devolution. The consolidated transport budget of £20.6 million per annum to 2020/21 has been given to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority since 2017/18, giving the area greater flexibility over how to fund highway maintenance and other strategic transport improvements, and the Bus Services Act 2017 makes provision in relation to bus franchising for mayoral combined authorities. No further budgets or powers will be devolved unless and until all of the statutory requirements are satisfied, including the area undertaking the necessary consultation.

As I told the House on 31 October 2017 in response to a question from the noble Lord [in Written Answer HL2234], if the leaders of the Sheffield City Region do not at some stage undertake the consultation they will have chosen to walk away from the deal. This would deny the people of the City Region some £1 billion investment from Government and the opportunity for the area to have new powers on transport, development, and skills.

The Government remains clear that the people of South Yorkshire can benefit significantly from devolution. The consolidated transport budget of £20.6 million per annum to 2020/21 has been given to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority since 2017/18, giving the area greater flexibility over how to fund highway maintenance and other strategic transport improvements, and the Bus Services Act 2017 makes provision in relation to bus franchising for mayoral combined authorities. No further budgets or powers will be devolved unless and until all of the statutory requirements are satisfied, including the area undertaking the necessary consultation.

As I told the House on 31 October 2017 in response to a question from the noble Lord [in Written Answer HL2234], if the leaders of the Sheffield City Region do not at some stage undertake the consultation they will have chosen to walk away from the deal. This would deny the people of the City Region some £1 billion investment from Government and the opportunity for the area to have new powers on transport, development, and skills.

The Government remains clear that the people of South Yorkshire can benefit significantly from devolution. The consolidated transport budget of £20.6 million per annum to 2020/21 has been given to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority since 2017/18, giving the area greater flexibility over how to fund highway maintenance and other strategic transport improvements, and the Bus Services Act 2017 makes provision in relation to bus franchising for mayoral combined authorities. No further budgets or powers will be devolved unless and until all of the statutory requirements are satisfied, including the area undertaking the necessary consultation.

As I told the House on 31 October 2017 in response to a question from the noble Lord [in Written Answer HL2234], if the leaders of the Sheffield City Region do not at some stage undertake the consultation they will have chosen to walk away from the deal. This would deny the people of the City Region some £1 billion investment from Government and the opportunity for the area to have new powers on transport, development, and skills.

The Government is committed to implementing and has legislated for the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. The Government has not received any proposal for a Yorkshire wide deal and any assessment of the merits of such a deal would have to take account of this pre-existing legislative commitment. The Sheffield City Region having implemented its devolution deal is not precluded in future from joining a wider Yorkshire devolution deal, were this to be agreed with Government and all the authorities involved.

The Government agreed a devolution deal with Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield in 2015, and to which the four councils reaffirmed their commitment in 2016 and 2017 when consenting to Parliamentary Orders establishing the mayoral election for May 2018. It is now for the councils to take the remaining steps - to hold a public consultation on the proposed devolution of powers and consent to the order needed, subject to Parliamentary approval, for the full implementation of the deal.

No further proposals have been put forward to the Government.

The Government agreed a devolution deal with Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield in 2015, and to which the four councils reaffirmed their commitment in 2016 and 2017 when consenting to Parliamentary Orders establishing the mayoral election for May 2018. It is now for the councils to take the remaining steps - to hold a public consultation on the proposed devolution of powers and consent to the order needed, subject to Parliamentary approval, for the full implementation of the deal.

No further proposals have been put forward to the Government.

My Lords, as I have indicated, we are moving forward, essentially by consensus, in discussing this matter with our colleagues in local government. I have also indicated that the 100% business rate retention scheme will be in force by the end of the Parliament. I am sure that the noble Lord will understand that we would expect local authorities to pick up something in return for that added money.

The Sheffield City Region devolution deal is a ground-breaking agreement that will see a major transfer of powers and responsibilities, including over transport. Local councils are in the process of ratifying devolution agreements and are working with the Government to ensure the timely implementation of all commitments.

Devolution is bottom-up and led by local areas; proposals are developed by local partners and constitute part of a formal negotiation with the Government. During negotiations, a number of options were discussed with Sheffield City Region, including the Greater Manchester model. The final agreement has been published on the gov.uk website.

All deals are agreed in principle, and we are therefore open to extending or amending existing devolution deals. However, it is vital that any alternative arrangement offered by Sheffield City Region would ensure that the Mayor will retain the same or stronger powers as the currently agreed arrangements.