Government unveils local spending transparency plans
Changes to the way local authorities and other public sector organisations such as police, fire, transport and health services provide information about how they spend public money in local areas are to come into force later this summer.
Communities Secretary John Denham said improving the quantity and quality of data in the public domain would increase transparency and improve efficiency.
Under the proposals, local spending reports will include:
- More up-to-date information
- Greater detail on spending by quangos including Learning and Skills Councils, and the Homes and Communities Agency
- More comprehensive details of grant payments from central to local government
- Enhanced regional data
- Web links taking users direct to relevant sources of additional information including the Oneplace website (which includes details of all comprehensive area assessments).
Denham said: “Providing expenditure alone risks knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Better, smarter data is crucial to driving down costs and increasing innovation. It will open the door to enterprise and innovation by encouraging individuals, business and third sector to come up with new solutions to old problems.”
He added that greater transparency would help more councils follow the lead of the 13 local authorities taking part in the Total Place pilots.
The government last month commissioned Professor Shadbolt, an academic at Southampton University, to head up a panel of experts to oversee the release of local data. The panel will be asked to look at how recycling data, street works, planning applications and parking fines can be made available.
