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Chapter 5 · The UK government, the law and your role

Life in the UK test questions on local government

Local authorities provide services such as schools, libraries, rubbish collection, roads and planning. They are paid for by council tax and by money from central government. Councillors are elected by local residents, usually in May, and in many areas elections are held every four years.

Below are 5 free questions on local government, taken from handbook section 5.10. Every one is written out in full with its answer and a plain-English explanation — no account, no sign-up and nothing hidden.

Practise local government

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Questions and answers on local government

The same 5 questions again, this time with the answers shown. Read the explanation even where you were right — the test asks the same facts several ways.

  1. 1. What do local authorities, or councils, do?

    • Provide local services such as rubbish collection, libraries and planning — correct answer
    • Decide the UK's foreign policy
    • Run the armed forces
    • Set the national minimum wage

    Councils deliver the services people use day to day, including waste collection, roads, libraries, planning and social care. Handbook section 5.10.

  2. 2. In many parts of England, local government is arranged in two tiers. What are they?

    • County councils and district councils — correct answer
    • Parliament and the Senedd
    • Magistrates and juries
    • Police forces and fire services

    Outside the big cities, services are often split between a county council covering a wide area and district councils covering smaller areas within it. Handbook section 5.10.

  3. 3. Which city elects a mayor who is the effective leader of its administration?

    • London — correct answer
    • Bath
    • Aberdeen
    • Bangor

    London elects a mayor who runs the city's administration, and several other English cities and regions have adopted directly elected mayors too. Handbook section 5.10.

  4. 4. Which body normally decides whether a new building may be put up in your area?

    • The local council — correct answer
    • The House of Lords
    • The Crown Court
    • The Electoral Commission

    Planning decisions are made by the local council, which weighs the application against its plan for the area. Handbook section 5.10.

  5. 5. What is local government's place in the way the UK is run?

    • It is part of the constitution, delivering services under powers set by Parliament — correct answer
    • It is a private business owned by residents
    • It is a branch of the courts
    • It operates entirely outside the law

    Local government is one of the institutions that make up the British constitution. Councils act within powers Parliament has given them. Handbook section 5.10.

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