Oral Answers to Questions

Annette Brooke Excerpts

Monday 28th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

It will certainly make a very big splash.

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

When a council has made a significant cut to a front-line service, such as by withdrawing support from 20 libraries, would it be possible to require that council to publish on its website the measures that it has taken to try to protect the service? Such measures could include working with other local authorities, as the Secretary of State has suggested.

[Mr Pickles]

The great thing about transparency is that a number of citizens are looking at their local council and asking it questions if it is closing down swimming baths or libraries while spending on things that do not relate to front-line services. I think that transparency is a very good thing. If people are closing down valuable community assets, they should make a very strong case for doing so.