Andy Burnham will have full control over local funding, the government has announced. The Greater Manchester mayor would be given a single budget rather than having to bid for separate pots of cash, the Chancellor said.
Delivering his budget speech, Jeremy Hunt said that this would give Mr Burnham's more financial freedom. The new funding proposals for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands could also soon be rolled out elsewhere.
The move means that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) would be treated more like a government department. It gives the mayor more power to move money around and spend it according to his own priorities.
