Devolution and responsibilities
Hampshire County Government is the county-based devolved government for Hampshire County within England.
Default responsibility
Where the current settlement gives HCG the corresponding governmental function, HCG carries the functions ordinarily exercised by the UK Government for England. A national or England-wide public service can therefore sit within an HCG departmental responsibility without becoming a county-level service.
What HCG is not
- HCG is not the United Hampshire Government.
- HCG is not the England Office.
- HCG is not the Hampshire & Solent Combined County Authority.
- HCG is not a local authority.
- The Hampshire Chamber is not part of the HCG executive.
Central government
The United Hampshire Government remains the central government of the Union. The England Office manages the central-government relationship with HCG and provides exceptional continuity arrangements where law requires them.
Local and strategic government
Local authorities and strategic authorities exercise their own functions. Central policy for local-government structure, governance, finance, audit, boundaries, reorganisation and strategic-authority machinery remains outside HCG where the settlement assigns it centrally.