The Impact of Central Government Policies on LocaludAuthorities’’ Transport Expenditure and Provision: 1. Review of Changes in Government Policies Since 1979

摘要

The period since the mid-1970s has witnessed increasing interestudand controversy in relations between central and local governmentudas successive governments have sought to assert controls on localudauthorities' activities as part of wider economic and politicaludprogrammes. Most attention has focussed on attempts to controludlocal government expenditure in the context of the macroeconommicudmanagement of the economy, but in recent years,udfinancial controls have been supplemented by legislative measuresudwhich have raised issues of a 'constitutional' nature (cf.udLoughlin (1986)). Indeed, some commentators have argued that theudcontrols introduced by the p~esent Conservative Government sinceud1979 represet a fundamental re-structuring of central-localudrelations such as to constitute a threat to the future of localudgovernment (see Rhodes (1984) p 261).udududA considerable amount of work has been undertaken to examine theudimplications of changes in the system of local government financeudin terms of their effect, firstly, on local authority spending,udsecondly, on management and organisation within localudauthorities, and, thirdly, on relations between central and localudgovernment. This last aspect has received particular attention,udespecially through an SSRC-funded research initiative in theudearly 1980s in which the issue of central-local financialudrelations figured prominently (Goldsmith, 1986). Moreover, inudthis context there have been developments in the theory of theudstate, particularly the relationship of the 'local state' to theud'central state', deriving from the study of changes in centraludgovernment financial controls (Martlew, 1983; Goldsmith andudVilladsen, 1986).udududClearly, the study of such changes will provide insights whichudwill be valuable, firstly, in relation to the development of ourudideas about the role and status of local government within theudwider economic and political system and, secondly, in relation toudthe development of future policies for local government finance.udTo date, it would appear that most of the work in this area hasudfocussed on aggregate spending by local authorities or classes ofudlocal authorities (e.g. shire/metropolitan/London authorities)udand work on specific services has concentrated on such servicesudas housing and education. It is considered, therefore, that anudexamination of the effects of changes in central governmentudfinancial controls on local authorities' transport expenditureudand provision will provide a valuable contribution to this areaudof study.ud