Calls for council to 'open up the books'
June 30, 2010 3:25 PM
Norwich Liberal Democrats urged the City Council to 'open up the books' to proper public scrutiny at this week's Full Council meeting.
The party called on the Council to publish details of spending above £500. The move echoes calls from the new Liberal Democrat - Conservative government for greater government transparency.
"It is only right and proper that the public should be allowed to see exactly where the council is spending money and be able to scrutinise this expenditure" commented Lib Dem Deputy Group Leader Cllr Rosalind Wright. "It is, after all, public money".
Earlier this month, the new government wrote to local authorities urging them to work with the Local Government Association to deliver the reforms and create so called 'armchair auditors' able to analyse local government spending.
In response to the question, the ruling Labour Executive said that they expect to comply with the government's wishes by January 2011.
"This action will ensure that the council has to publicly justify major spending, and allow every resident of Norwich to be an 'armchair auditor' questioning the use of public money," said Cllr Wright. " Also, by publishing invitations to tender and contracts, the Council may be able to help previously ignored organisations to pitch for contracts and bring forward new ideas."
Notes:
1) The proposal, which is in the Coalition Agreement, would require Councils to publish costs for all items over £500 including car hire, software, consultancy fees and utility bills and to publish invitations to tender and final contracts on projects over £500. The Department for Communities and Local Government says all councils "should be doing this as a matter of course by the start of next year",
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