[3][4] The bill was introduced to the House of Lords by Baroness Williams of Trafford, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on 28 May 2015.

Instead, the idea of devolution to smaller English "city regions" gained predominance, giving rise to calls for enabling legislation.

The committee examined the lessons that could be learned from City Deals arranged in 2012-14, whether the GMCA devolution proposals provided a model for other areas, and how local accountability could be improved.

[15] In July 2016 the Public Accounts Committee criticised the lack of clarity in the objectives and financial implications of devolution deals, as well as the shortage of local scrutiny arrangements.

The negotiation of such deals initially took place during 2014–15, and by September 2015 a total of 38 towns, cities, counties and regions had submitted devolution proposals to the government (including four bids from Scotland and Wales).

[18] Three agreements made between November 2014 and July 2015 led to proposals for the transfer of a number of powers and funding streams to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and other bodies in the Greater Manchester area, together with the creation of a directly elected mayor or "metro-mayor", a role similar that of the Mayor of London.

At the same time the GMCA is to acquire new powers including some control over business growth as well as health and social care budgets.

[21] An agreement announced in March 2015 proposed devolving to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority some powers over education and training, economic development, housing and transport.

[33] A "Solent devolution bid" for a combined authority covering Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight was abandoned because consensus could not be reached.

[38] Other areas which have proposed devolution under this legislation include the London boroughs (putting forward plans for sub-regional devolution within London),[39] Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire, Surrey and Sussex,[19] Cheshire and Warrington,[40] Devon and Somerset,[41] Dorset,[42] and Lancashire.

[45] There has reportedly been widespread scepticism among existing local government leaders in England about the creation of the proposed directly elected mayors.