Local Councils

The services provided by local councils WHAT WILL I LEARN? The services provided by local councils

Why Local Councils? Local Government should be ‘the voice of the people’ They should play a vital role in meeting the needs of citizens Just as Westminster ‘devolves’ certain powers to the Scottish Parliament, so the Scottish Parliament ‘devolves’ certain powers to Local Councils These councils are elected locally-therefore they know the needs of their own area

Scotland now has 32 local authorities- these are known as councils

Glasgow City Council Each local council, like Glasgow is divided into electoral ward and councillors are elected in each ward to represent the people who live there.

Services Provided Glasgow City Council is the most heavily populated local authority with a population of approximately 698,000. It is responsible for delivering key services to the people of Glasgow. On the next slide match the service provided to the correct example.

Department Example Environmental Protection Responsible for museums Housing Refuse and recycling collection Social Work Provides council houses, deals with homeless Cultural Services Collects council tax Finance Looks after leisure centres Recreation Services Work with children and the elderly Roads Deals with deaths, births and marriages Law and Administration Provides street lighting Education Runs schools, employs teachers

Why Local Councils? One reason why local councils are in charge of many important services is that they are aware of local needs and issues. They are based in the area that they are representing. A second reason is that there are different priorities between and among different areas. It is not possible for central government to make decisions that would best meet the needs of people in all areas. A third reason why local councils are in charge of important services is that councilors are easy to access. Councillors tend to work and live in the area which they represent.

Describe, in detail, two services usually provided by local councils. (4 marks)

One service usually provided by local councils is education One service usually provided by local councils is education. Local councils are responsible for providing nursery, primary and secondary schools for all young people in the area.  A second service usually provided by local councils is environmental protection. This means that local councils are responsible for environmental and public health. They are responsible for refuse collection and recycling.