Aims to give local people and local communities more influence and power to improve their lives and concerns the creation of strong prosperous communities and the delivery of better public services through a rebalancing of the relationship between central and local government and local people. Proposes giving local government, local communities and other local service providers more freedom and powers to bring about the changes that they want to see. Volume one sets out the following key themes: strong and prosperous communities; responsive services and empowered communities; effective, accountable and responsive local government; strong cities, strategic regions; local government as a strategic leader and place-shaper; new performance framework; efficiency - transforming local services; community cohesion, and steps towards implementation. Volume two exemplifies how the White Paper's proposals will apply to major local public service areas and cross-cutting issues.