The most significant devolution deal so far

MAYOR HAILS MOVE TO GIVE GREATER MANCHESTER MORE POWERS OVER TRANSPORT, HOUSING AND EDUCATION

- JOSEPH TIMAN

GREATER Manchester will be given more powers over transport, housing and technical education under a new devolution deal described as the 'deepest' yet.

For the first time, the city region will be treated like a government department with mayor Andy Burnham given full control over finances.

The new devolution deal - which is the first since 2017 - means buses, N trams and local trains can be WARD: under Andy brought one public trans- Burnham port system similar to London's with passengers able to tap-in and tap-out for simpler fares.

Greater Manchester will also be able to create the country's first integrated technical education system giving leaders more influence over the local labour market.

The deal also gives Greater Manchester new powers and more funding to build homes - including £400m for affordable housing to retrofit old houses, making them energy efficient and to crack down on rogue landlords. The government has also committed to giving the city-region more financial freedom in the future with a single settlement to be agreed for several years.

It means that the Labour mayor will be free to spend the money Greater Manchester gets from the government according to his own priorities. But in return, he and the 10 council leaders will be by quizzed MPs in Parliament.

The government has said the 'trailblazer' deal - for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands- will be a 'blueprint' for other areas. Mr Burnham said that this agreement - the seventh of its kind which follows many months of negotiations, is 'by some way the deepest' devolution deal in England so far.

He said: "Of all of the devolution deals that we've done so far, this is the most significant. The reason I say that is because for the first time Whitehall will be treating us more like Wales or Scotland.