Peers take Culture Commons policy asks centre stage in the House of Lords
The Second Reading of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill in the House of Lords marked an important step forward in our work on cultural devolution.
Peers drew directly on the evidence and proposals developed through Culture Commons’ national research programme, undertaken with 30 partner organisations and informed by more than 250 creative, cultural and heritage organisations. Their interventions have helped place culture, creativity and heritage firmly within the discussion about how England’s future governance system should be designed.
A clear gap
The debate highlighted the fundamental issue with the Bill as drafted. Culture is not currently recognised as a domain of devolved responsibility. This omission risks leaving the creative, cultural and heritage sectors outside the formal structures that will guide long term planning, investment and local accountability for many years to come. Peers from across the House made clear that this gap now needs serious attention.
Strong support across the House
Several Peers, including Baroness Usha Prashar, Baroness Theresa Griffin and Lord Robin Teverson, spoke with real authority about why culture and creativity must be part of a modern devolution settlement. Baroness Prashar’s reference to the work of Trevor MacFarlane, Director of Culture Commons, was particularly encouraging, because she echoed one of the core findings from our cultural devolution research programme: that culture shapes how people experience their local area, and that culture should therefore help shape how that area is governed.
A shift in the national dialogue
The level of parliamentary engagement seen at Second Reading signals an important change. For the first time, the case for cultural devolution has been set out clearly on the parliamentary record during a significant legislative debate. It demonstrates that Culture Commons’ evidence and proposals, developed with and for the entire creative, cultural and heritage ecosystem, are now influencing national policy dialogue.
Strengthening the Bill
Culture Commons has developed a suite of practical amendments designed to integrate culture effectively into the Bill’s existing architecture. These proposals include recognising culture, creativity and heritage as a statutory competence for Strategic Authorities, providing a Right to Request mechanism to help places activate their powers, embedding culture within long term planning processes, establishing Culture Forums to support civic and sector participation and improving the quality of cultural data used in decision making. Each proposal is rooted in extensive research and sector consultation.
You can read all of the amendments we’re proposing here:
https://www.culturecommons.uk/strengthening-the-english-devolution-and-community-empowerment-bill
And if you’d like to dig into the extensive research and policy thinking that has informed them, you can explore our wider work on The Future of Cultural Devolution in the UK here:
www.devolution.culturecommons.uk
Next steps
England’s devolved future must recognise identity, belonging and the cultural infrastructure that sustains confident and connected places, and we will work tirelessly with parliamentarians and partners to secure the changes needed to achieve that vision.
As the Bill moves into Committee Stage, Culture Commons will intensify its work with Peers, Members of Parliament, Mayors and local and regional leaders to ensure that the case for cultural devolution is translated into concrete legislative change. Our goal is to help shape a devolution framework that genuinely reflects the lived experience of communities and the creative energy that allows them to flourish.
If you share our commitment to cultural devolution and wish to support this work, we would be pleased to collaborate with you. Please get in touch with us at: contact@culturecommons.uk
