The Greater London Authority Bill which will grant more powers to the Mayor of London and London Assembly started its passage through Parliament yesterday (28th November 2006).
If passed by Parliament the bill will amend the Greater London Authority Act 1999 which established the GLA.
Under plans announced by Ruth Kelly earlier this year the Government intends to transfer the responsibilities of the London Housing Board to the Mayor along with greater control of planning decisions.
It
also expected that the Mayor will gain the power to appoint the Chairs
and some board members of the Arts Council London, the London Regional
Sports Board and Museums, Libraries and Archives London.
The
Assembly will gain the power to set its own budget and be able to hold
confirmation hearings for key appointments the Mayor proposes to make.
The Mayor will also gain the power to appoint trustees to the board of the Museum of London.
You can monitor the progress of the bill via the commonsleader.gov.uk website.
