Autumn Statement: The new powers being given to Cornish people as 'devolution deal' outlined
Cornish voters will have greater control over adult education and the creation of clean green energy off the Duchy's shores, under plans unveiled by the Government.
Cornwall Council has been negotiating with ministers in Westminster over a proposed devolution deal which will hand back more powers to local politicians.
The Chancellor outlined the government's latest draft of the deal as part of the Autumn Statement on Wednesday 22 November.
The proposals are a revision of the original plan, after Cornish voters rejected a condition that there would be a directly elected mayor of the county in return for being given even more local powers.
This would have seen a so-called level three deal created. But as Cornwall Council dismissed proposals for an elected mayor following a consultation, the Chancellor has now explained the government's vision for a level two devolution deal.
The proposals outlined by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt include:
The Government fully devolving the adult education budget from 2025, giving the council control over how to support adult learners.
The creation of a Cornwall Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) Commission to bring clean energy to the shores of Cornwall, helping in the delivery of the UK's targets for renewable generation.
Enabling Cornwall Council to attend meetings of the British-Irish Council alongside the UK Government as an advisor on matters relating to the Cornish language.
A further £500,000 to support Cornish distinctiveness and the Cornish language.
The new deal's focus on strengthening protections for Cornish culture and giving greater control of adult education have been praised by the council.
Cllr Linda Taylor, the leader of the council, said: “This level two deal is the very best we could have hoped for after the decision in April not to pursue the level three deal due to the requirement for a directly elected Mayor.
“It devolves decision making for adult education from Whitehall to Cornwall, so that working with businesses and skills providers we can make sure that Cornwall has got the skills it needs for the future.
“I am also delighted by the support shown for the Cornish language. [The Chancellor's] recognition of our distinctiveness is supported by £500,000 funding and comes now with a voice on the British-Irish Council, something which we have been pushing for from Government for some time."
But Cllr Taylor added that they would still like to see the deal go further and that it wants to set out these proposals through the creation of a new Cornwall White Paper.
There is also the possibility that some extra planning powers could be devolved over time and the council is set to debate the deal later this month. These new powers would then come into effect next year.
Jeremy Hunt has also confirmed a similar deal is being negotiated with Devon and Torbay council areas, but this is likely to take a few more years to approve. The government has also made it clear that, like Cornwall, this will be a Level 2 deal - and not a higher level of devolution under a directly elected mayor.
Why is the government giving local politicians more power?
The Conservatives in Westminster and the Conservative-led Cornwall Council believe that having decisions made locally will make decision making quicker and make local councillors more accountable.
The idea is that as councillors are living in their wards and speaking to voters every day they will be best placed to make certain decisions that traditionally have been made in Government departments in Westminster.
But, opponents of this type of devolution argue that it is the Government passing the buck to local politicians to make difficult -and at times controversial - decisions, whilst at the same time ministers are still controlling how much money is available.
When these powers do come into effect, there will likely be significant pressure on Cornwall Council's leaders to prove they're using the powers effectively and making a difference.