text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill - Decline Second Reading
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  @ MP voted aye against allowing more devolution of powers to local councils and against enabling councils to collaboratively form regional combined authorities.
  @ MP voted no in favour of allowing more devolution of powers to local councils and to enable councils to collaboratively form regional combined authorities. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted in favour of allowing more devolution of powers to local councils and to enable councils to collaboratively form regional combined authorities. 
  
  MPs were considering the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill[1][2]. The Bill seeks to allow ministers to introduce regulations to
  
  * enable any public authority function relating to an area to be conferred on a county council or district council;
  
  * provide for streamlined local governance as agreed by councils;
  
  * enable any public authority function relating to an area to be conferred on a combined authority;
  
  * confer any local government function on a combined authority (these are currently limited to economic development, regeneration, and transport);
  
  * provide for an elected mayor for a combined authorityâs area who would exercise specified functions individually and chair the authority; and
  
  * provide for the possibility for the mayor additionally to undertake the functions of Police and Crime Commissioner for the combined authority area (in place of the Police and Crime Commissioner). 
  
  [Above list taken from the explanatory notes[2]]
  
  The motion rejected in this vote was:
  
  :That this House 
  :''declines'' to give a Second Reading to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [Lords], notwithstanding the need for devolution to local communities, because the Bill does not offer meaningful devolution to England and would leave behind Englandâs town, county and shire regions, ignores the will of the people by imposing mayors as a condition of devolution, threatens the financial stability of local government by not offering a fair funding settlement, and fails to reshape central Government for a long-term commitment to devolution.
  
  
  ===
  
  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/citiesandlocalgovernmentdevolution.html Parliament's webpage on the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2015-2016/0064/en/16064en01.htm Explanatory notes to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill]
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  