Abstract
THE White Paper on Local Government in England and Wales during the Period of Reconstruction* may be pragmatic, but no one could claim that it is bold or imaginative. The assumption that opposition to any drastic innovation such as regional government makes such a step inexpedient during the reconstruction period may be well founded. Furthermore, it is probably true that some improvement in administration might be achieved without abandoning the main features of the county and county borough system, subject to the establishment of appropriate machinery where it is shown to be necessary for combined action by neighbouring areas. But the central, and indeed only, recommendation of the White Paper is the establishment of a Local Government Boundaries Commission. The field of joint authorities is regarded as the most suitable for the development of units of administration where large areas are required, and within its limited field the proposed commission may have considerable advantages. Centralizing in one body, subject to review, all boundary questions, would promote the accumulation of an unrivalled fund of experience and enable the relations of county and county borough, of town and country, to be seen clearly and regulated as a whole. It would also be an advantage to have much of the work done on the spot with a full use of local knowledge, and if the commissioners are skilful in promoting local agreement, it should lead to substantial economies in the cost of boundary alterations.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rationalization of Local Government in Britain. Nature 155, 345–348 (1945). https://doi.org/10.1038/155345a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/155345a0