Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on reviewing the cost of democratic arrangements to ensure that they promote good governance and provide value for money.

The Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires councils to publish information about how they use their assets, spend money and make decisions. This increases local democratic accountability and makes it easier for local people to contribute to local decision making. Additionally, local authorities are required, through Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999, to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in how their functions are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness.