Ministry publishes overview of local government accountability system in England
- Details
The Government has published new guidance setting out how local authorities in England are held to account, how oversight functions operate, and how residents, partners and government can use these mechanisms to support effective and resilient local government.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has said the document, Overview of the local government accountability system, will serve as the “central reference point” for understanding the accountability system.
According to the document, the accountability system is an "essential part of the local government landscape", which outlines the roles, responsibilities and expectations of local authorities and central government in delivering for local residents and stakeholders.
The document says it sets out guidance in one place for the first time "to help make the system clearer to understand and easier to navigate".
It covers accountability to the public; local scrutiny and checks and balances; and system stewardship, service regulation, and departmental oversight.
The section on accountability to the public details requirements for councils to be transparent and provide information about their decision-making and activities through open access to data and public meetings.
It also touches on elections, consultations and complaints, while also covering local media scrutiny of services and governance, and residents' rights to access information that enables them to hold their local authority to account.
The local scrutiny and checks and balances section meanwhile touches on the roles of the three statutory officers, overview and scrutiny committees, and performance management arrangements. It also covers the code of conduct.
The final section on system stewardship details the role of independent regulators, auditors, inspectorates and ombudsmen in assessing key services.
Adam Carey
Events
