Committees

Future Governance of the UK

Inquiry

The United Kingdom as currently constituted marks its centenary in 2021. It is also under strain. Both Brexit and the differences in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic between the UK Government, the devolved administrations and English local government have highlighted long-standing tensions in inter-governmental relations.

The Constitution Committee is exploring how power can best be shared within the UK to establish stable and effective governance arrangements throughout the UK for the 21st century. The inquiry will consider issues such as:

  • The current balance of powers within the UK
  • The current challenges for multi-level governance in the UK
  • The current approach to devolution within England
  • The common purpose of the UK

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Saturday 31 July 2021.

Reports, special reports and government responses

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10th Report - Respect and Co-operation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
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HL Paper 142
Report
Response to this report
Letter from Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, to Baroness Drake, Chair of the Constitution Committee, in response to the Committee's follow up questions on the Government response to the Committee's report on Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century (10th Report, Session 2021–22, HL Paper 142) (17 January 2023)
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Correspondence
Response to this report
Letter from Baroness Drake, Chair of the Constitution Committee, to Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on the Government Response to the Committee report's on Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century (10th Report, Session 2021–22, HL Paper 142) (21 October 2022)
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Correspondence
Response to this report
Government response to the Committee's report on Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st Century (30 August 2022)
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Government Response

Correspondence

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Letter from Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, to Baroness Drake, Chair of the Constitution Committee, in response to the Committee's follow up questions on the Government response to the Committee's report on Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century (10th Report, Session 2021–22, HL Paper 142) (17 January 2023)
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
Open PDF
141KB
Correspondence
Letter from Baroness Drake, Chair of the Constitution Committee, to Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, on the Government Response to the Committee report's on Respect and Cooperation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century (10th Report, Session 2021–22, HL Paper 142) (21 October 2022)
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
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103KB
Correspondence
Letter from Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, to Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chair of the Constitution Committee, on the Review of Intergovernmental Relations, Dunlop Review, Machinery of Government, and the Shared Prosperity Fund (18 January 2022)
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
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Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

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1 December 2021
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
Witnesses Local Government Association, and Local Government Association
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Oral Evidence
28 October 2021
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
Witnesses Professor James Mitchell (Professor of Public Policy at The University of Edinburgh), and Professor Jim Gallagher (Visiting Professor at School of Law, University of Glasgow)
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Oral Evidence
27 October 2021
Inquiry Future Governance of the UK
Witnesses Social Democratic and Labour Party
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Oral Evidence

Written evidence

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Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, and Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place (FGU0055)
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Local Government Information Unit (FGU0054)
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Professor Michael Keating (Professor of Politics at University of Aberdeen) (FGU0053)
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Other publications

Government Responses
The Government has undertaken to respond to most committee reports within two months, although there are exceptions to this rule.
1 published

Contact us

  • Email: constitution@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 3871 (committee staff) | 020 7219 8286 (Press Officer)
  • Address: Constitution Committee, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW