![]() Neither combined authority com- mented on the contents of their deal. The West Midlands Combined Authority also told central government it was open to further scrutiny, such as “a regional ‘public accounts committee’, including regional MPs”. People familiar with the devolution deal for Greater Manchester said Burn- ham had recently written to the govern- ment expressing support for further accountability structures, such as a regional committee. ![]() Bolton West Conservative MP Chris Green said it was essential that “in a democracy, people know who is responsible for what and how they can be held to account”. The increased scrutiny follows heavy lobbying by Conservative MPs in Greater Manchester, who comprise just under a third of the region’s parliamen- tarians. It is unclear whether the new committees will meet locally or in Westminster. In return for greater devolution, the two mayors will face quarterly panels of local MPs, similar to the House of Com- mons’ committees. ![]() In Greater Manchester, Labour mayor Andy Burnham is also expected to receive £150mn in funding to help pre- pare brownfield land for thousands of new homes, as well as a commitment to integrate regional rail services with locally controlled tram and bus net- works - mirroring London’s system - by 2030. The deals are expected to include decentralised fund- ing blocks for the two city regions. The extra layer of accountability is part of beefed-up devolution deals for Greater Manchester and the West Mid- lands, due to be announced in today’s Budget, according to five people famil- iar with the agreements.
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