London's mayor given more powers

London mayor Ken Livingstone has powers over transport in the city

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has been given more powers over planning, housing and training as the government seeks to devolve power from Whitehall.

He will set a housing strategy and control the affordable housing budget.

He also gets more strategic powers over big planning applications and will head up a skills and employment board.

The government said it would provide strong leadership for London, but critics said it was a "power grab" from local borough councils.

Affordable homes

Mr Livingstone said: "We have demonstrated - through neighbourhood policing, the success of congestion charging and the transformation of the buses - that city-wide London government works and that Londoners are directly benefiting."

He added that the powers would allow him to "tackle head-on" problems with skills provision in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, boosting London's global economic status and delivering affordable homes.

The mayor's plans for a single London Waste Authority were not approved, but he will work closely with boroughs in a new London-wide waste and recycling forum.

His responsibilities were limited to largely strategic powers under the 1999 Act which created the Greater London Assembly (GLA).

This is little more than a smash and grab raid on borough power Angie Bray

He is responsible for the GLA's executive functions, while the London Assembly scrutinises his decisions.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Ruth Kelly said both the assembly and the mayor would gain from Thursday's announcement.

The assembly will be able to set its own budget, publish an annual report and hold hearings with candidates for key mayoral appointments.

But Conservative leader in the London Assembly, Angie Bray, said it did not strengthen their powers enough.

She added: "This is... little more than a smash and grab raid on borough power.

"This is confounded by the failure to grant the London Assembly the necessary extra powers to do their scrutiny job to the best of their ability. "

Lib Dem London Assembly member Sally Hamwee said the announcement showed the Labour government still had Mr Livingstone, who was re-admitted to the party in 2004, "on probation".