United Kingdom 

Introduction

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) is a constitutional monarchy in Europe with a population of 60,776,238 and a land area of 241,752 sq km. 

The bicameral UK parliament, comprising the House of COmmons and House of Lords, is based in the capital, London. The prime minister is head of governemnt and has the power to appoint the cabinet from amongst members of either houses.

The UK is a union of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern ireland.

Local government expenditure is 6.9 % of GDP. 

Summary

Local government in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is unitary. In England, it is a mix of single and two-tiered systems. The county council provides large-scale services across the whole of the county and is responsible for the more strategic issues such as transport, minerals and waste planning, highways, education, consumer protection, refuse disposal, libraries and personal social services. The district council has a more local focus, being responsible for providing services in its own area, for environmental health, housing, most planning decisions and refuse collection. Both county and district councils can provide facilities such as museums, art galleries and parks. Parish and community councils also operate at the grassroots level in many areas. 

Financially, local authorities are heavily dependent on spending levels set by and grants made by central government. However, as demonstrated by its contribution to the GDP, local government's spending power is substantial.  

Recent legislation for England is setting in motion a transformation in local government structures from its traditional committee system to one with much greater distinction between the executive and scrutiny functions. 

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