The call for greater disclosure on spending is just one of a series of sweeping measures detailed in a letter being sent to councils by the Secretary of State today. He makes clear that transparency and openness should be the default setting for the way councils do business, and calls on local government to move at speed to adopt this new approach.
The letter sets out proposals for a move to open local government. Councils are being encouraged to throw open their files and publish, alongside spending data, information on salaries, job titles, allowances and expenses, minutes of meetings and more.
By September councils will be expected to make details of spending on all goods and services – from car hire to consultancy fees from storage to software costs – that fall above the £500 threshold available for the public to see and scrutinise. All councils should be doing this as a matter of course by the start of next year, as well as publishing invitations to tender and final contracts on projects over £500.
Financial disclosure will act as a trigger enabling local taxpayers to see how councils are using public money, shine a spotlight on waste, establish greater accountability and efficiency, open up new markets and improve access for small and local business and the voluntary sector.
But making spending data public is just the tip of the iceberg. Building on excellent work already under way in some councils, the route map sets down a plan of action that will see a wealth of data being made available online including:
– Local government salaries – Government will consult on greater disclosure of senior staff salaries by name and job descriptions
– Council minutes and papers – consistent publication of what is being discussed and what has been decided
– Job vacancies – showing local people what kind of jobs are contributing to the wage bill, driving down advertising costs and allowing comparison of pay ranges
– Frontline service data – including rubbish and recycling rates, council tax collection rates and details of major planned projects
-Planning applications and decisions – making sure residents have online access to information about planning applications that could affect them and the look and feel of their area, and making it easier for them to influence emerging development ideas.
The Local Government Association will work closely with its member councils to help them deliver on this agenda.
The move to greater accountability is set against changes to significantly cut the inspection burden. The abolition of the bureaucratic and over burdensome Comprehensive Area Assessment regime will save councils up to £39 million a year, which is equivalent to 151,000 working days.
The broader push on transparency will be an iterative process, driven by the local government and developer sector within the framework set out by government.
