Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Penny Mordaunt and Brandon Lewis

Thursday 25th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North) (Con)]

5. What requirements local authorities have to report their expenditure to his Department.

[Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth) (Con)]

10. What recent steps he has taken to increase transparency and accountability in local government spending.

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

We are replacing bureaucratic accountability to central Government with democratic accountability. People should be able to hold their local council to account over the taxes it spends. More and more local authorities are publishing details of spending items of more than £500 online. Next month, I will consult on a code of recommended practice for local authorities, which will address issues such as scope, formatting and timings for publishing data.