Paul Rowsell has extensive experience of leading work on reforming democratic governance, particularly at the local and regional levels, and on devolution and decentralisation. He is responsible for legislation currently before the United Kingdom Parliament to support further decentralisation of power, including through new locally accountable institutions, and is overseeing governance reforms and devolution deals in a number of English counties and City Regions. He is currently Chair of the European Committee on Democracy and Governance, whose activities this year have focused on drafting Committee of Ministers Recommendations to Member States on the principles of good democratic governance and on the uses of deliberative democracy. In 2017 Her Majesty the Queen awarded Paul the honour of Commander of the British Empire for services to Local Government.