Mebyon Kernow has produced the following briefing on the so-called “level 2 devolution deal” for Cornwall.
We are desperately disappointed at the content of the “devolution deal” published on 22nd November 2023. It does not include the transfer of far-reaching powers from Westminster to Cornwall as has happened in Wales and Scotland since 1999. The deal is simply a range of accommodations between central government and Cornwall’s unitary authority.
The deal does reference Cornwall’s distinct heritage, culture and language, as well as the national minority status of the Cornish people, but it ignores Cornwall’s distinct constitutional position and treats Cornwall as a local government unit of England. Paragraph 18 even references the “Great South West alliance,” which shows that there is an unacceptable lack of respect for Cornish nationhood and territoriality, as well as the primacy of Cornwall as a geographical / political entity for proper devolution.
When the UK Government finally recognised the Cornish as a national minority (through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities) in 2014, it pledged that the Cornish would be afforded the same status “as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”
That commitment to parity with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom surely must include meaningful devolution for the nation of Cornwall, through the provision of a Cornish Parliament. MK’s full proposals, which we commend to the people of Cornwall, can be found in our policy document “Towards a Cornish Parliament / Troha Senedh a Gernow.”
It is the view of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall that the proposals for “devolution” within the Levelling Up White Paper (and subsequent legislation) undermines and devalues the concept of devolution as previously understood.
However, our comments on the proposed “devolution deal” are as follows:
Devolution
The inadequacy of the deal is shown by paragraph 23 of the deal, which lists the functions that would be devolved. But only one is listed – adult education and skills. it would mean decisions about an existing budget being taken in Cornwall.
Funding
The only funding within the deal is £500,000 in 2023/24 to support Cornish distinctiveness, including the Cornish language, though it notes previously allocated funding of £10million linked to the failed “level 3” deal.
Commitments from central government?
Throughout the document, there are repeated “commitments” from central government. A wordsearch of the document shows that there are 27 pledges for the Government and/or Cornwall Council to “work with” each other on various matters, 11 pledges to “consider” specific proposals and 11 pledges to “explore” various initiatives.
There is no guarantee that such “commitments” will lead to anything. It is also the case that some of the funding and some of the proposals are subject to business cases (that have to be approved by central government). In contrast, the document also references certain initiatives already happening and which are therefore not dependent upon any deal.
Skills and education
This states that the “Government will fully devolve AEB to Cornwall Council from academic year 2025/26” (paragraph 36) and “inform Cornwall Council on which basis the existing methodology operates to calculate the size of the grant to be paid to Cornwall Council for the purpose of exercising the devolved adult education functions” (paragraph 39).
The deal notes that Local Skills Improvement Plans are being rolled out across Cornwall and England, adding that “Cornwall Council will need to support and provide input” into the LSIP covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. In addition, the deal states that the unitary authority will “work in partnership with local and regional work and health stakeholders as well as the Department for Work and Pensions and other parts of the UK Government to ensure effective and coordinated strategic planning and delivery of local employment, health and skills provision” (paragraph 54).
The deal also mentions that Cornwall is one of fifty-five Education Investment Areas to tackle areas of low educational attainment, but that had already been agreed.
Housing and land
Measures in the deal include Cornwall Council “working collaboratively … to reduce the barriers to affordable housing delivery, regeneration and wider housing growth through the development of a shared development pipeline for the region” (paragraph 58), a commitment from the Government to “explore the potential for investing in the delivery of this pipeline” (paragraph 59) and Cornwall’s potential participation in the Government’s Private Rented Sector (PRS) Pathfinder programme to “test new, innovative ways of raising housing standards in the PRS” (paragraph 62). In terms of potential controls on short-term lets, the document states that the Government has “engaged with Cornwall on this work and will continue to look for opportunities to work with Cornwall as any national measures are taken forward” (paragraph 65).
This is not the devolution on housing and planning that Cornwall so desperately needs (ie. all decisions over planning, planning policy and housing are taken in Cornwall through our own parliament).
Transport
Examples within this section of the document include Peninsula Transport’s development of a “Regional Centre of Excellence” and suggests it will provide Cornwall Council with an opportunity to establish if it could “benefit from capability support” (paragraph 72). It states, the Government will also “work with Cornwall to ensure that they are ready for the next stage of local electric vehicle infrastructure funding (paragraph 74) and that if Cornwall Council concludes that bus franchising is likely to deliver better outcomes, the Government will “consider conferring franchising powers under the Transport Act 2000 to Cornwall Council where it demonstrates they have the capability and intention to deliver their chosen franchise mode” (paragraph 76).
The deal notes the Mid Cornwall Rail project (paragraph 79) – which is already happening – and states that central government will “consider options for future legislation to enable a more efficient toll revision process” in relation to the Tamar Crossings (paragraph 80).
It is clear that these proposals are accommodations between central government and Cornwall’s unitary authority in Cornwall and, once again, do not merit being described as devolution.
Net zero, energy and environment
The deal notes the intention of the UK Government to “establish heat network zoning in England,” and specifically mentions a heat network for the unpopular Langarth development, which is already happening (paragraphs 85 and 86), and adds that it will “support Cornwall Council to build the capacity it needs to leverage private finance into nature recovery” (paragraph 92) and that the UK Government “supports Cornwall Council’s ambition to create a Cornwall FLOW (Floating Offshore Wind) Commission” (paragraph 99).
There is nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.
Culture and tourism
In this section, there is a vague statement about “partnership work” that will “focus on maximising the contribution of culture and heritage to place-making in Cornwall’s villages, towns and cities” (sic) (paragraph 102).
The Government confirms that the new Media Bill includes Cornish “in the list of regional and minority languages referenced in the new public service remit for television” (paragraph 106). The UK Government is promising to “provide £500,000 of funding in 2023/24 to support Cornish distinctiveness, including the protection and promotion of the Cornish language” (paragraph 107) and it says that the leader of Cornwall Council can attend meetings of the British-Irish Council, but only as an advisor “on matters pertaining to the Cornish language” (paragraph 108).
The deal also states that central government will “consider the case for supporting the positive management of Cornish hedges through the agricultural transition programme of farming reforms” (paragraph 111).
Digital / Innovation, trade and investment
In these sections of the deal, there are general comments about the UK Government and partners working with Cornwall Council. These include how the “Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation will work with Cornwall Council to explore opportunities for closer long-term collaboration in strengthening their local research and innovation capacity” (paragraph 117).
There is nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.
Public Service reform
This section includes general comments about data, a “place-based approach to delivery” and a “healthy places collaboration to improve health and wellbeing.” It states: “The Government supports Cornwall in its ambition for public service reform, including a focus on creating safe, healthy, resilient communities. The Government commits to working with the Council and partners to explore initiatives to improve delivery of public services, such as how best to support residents with multiple complex needs.”
There is nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.
Resillience and public safety
The deal states that central government “will work with the Devon and Cornwall Police & Crime Commissioner to agree an appropriate arrangement to ensure close collaboration and productive joint working on public safety between Cornwall Council and PCC” (paragraph 124), but if the UK Government is serious about Cornwall as a political unit for devolution, it should re-form a Cornish Police Force.