Place-based accountability: Will decentralisation in England mean better, more accountable government?

Britain has hitherto been one of the most centralised states in the developed world. But we are now seeing a plethora of devolved arrangements emerge that will mean more local, place-based decision-making and resource allocation. These include the new elected mayor and combined authority in Greater Manchester (with similar deals expected for Sheffield and Leeds); elected police and crime commissioners; local enterprise partnerships; and health and wellbeing boards to jointly commission health and social care provision.

This increase in local decision-making naturally poses some interesting questions: will this exacerbate confusion around how decisions are made about spending increasingly scarce public resources? Does it mean the end of traditional systems of ministerial and Whitehall accountability to Parliament - and should we be worried about this?

The Institute for Government and Centre for Public Scrutiny host this important event with key speakers from Whitehall and local government, to explore the implications of devolution and decentralisation for local and national systems of governance and accountability.

Our panel

• Sharon White, Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury
• Jo Miller, Chief Executive of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
• Jessica Crowe, Executive Director of the Centre for Public Scrutiny

The event is chaired by Tom Gash, Director of Research, Institute for Government.