Transparency | LocalGov

EXCLUSIVE: Push for local PACs slows amid Whitehall scepticism

16/05/2025

Support for establishing local versions of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) across England is softening as the Government ponders whether to push the idea.

Watchdog should investigate Teesworks freeport, MPs say

26/04/2024

MPs have recommended that the National Audit Office (NAO) should investigate the finances of the controversial Teesworks regeneration project.

Transparency calls over monitoring officer departure

10/04/2024

Salford CC's opposition leader has called for transparency over a settlement agreement The MJ understands was paid to its departing monitoring officer.

Urgent action needed to re-establish trust in local audit

24/11/2023

The Government must take urgent action to remedy the ongoing problems with local audit and improve accountability at the local level, MPs say.

Audit reveals ‘deficiencies’ councils’ record keeping

07/09/2023

Auditors have found ‘significant deficiencies’ in the financial management and record keeping of Ammanford Town Council and Llanferres Community Council.

New North Yorkshire Council urged to live stream meetings

17/04/2023

Councillors in Scarborough have urged the new North Yorkshire Council to live stream all its meetings online to improve transparency and cut down on travel.

Cause of local authority audit delays ‘multi-faceted’

07/03/2023

Stakeholders in the local audit system must continue efforts to secure timely publication of audited accounts which are delayed for many reasons, says report.

UK doubles number of 'A List' cities praised for action on climate change

18/11/2022

The UK has managed to double the number of cities that have been named as leaders in environmental action and transparency in 2022.

Government ‘gambling’ with levelling up funding

08/06/2022

Levelling up should be delivered with ‘measurable targets’, council leaders say as MPs raise questions over the funding of the Government’s flagship agenda.

Ombudsman reminds councils to ensure processes are transparent

19/05/2022

Councils administering Disabled Facilities Grants need to ensure their processes are transparent and accountable, Ombudsman says.

Standard boosting algorithm transparency launched

30/11/2021

The Government today launched one of the world’s first national standard for algorithmic transparency which will impact councils using computer algorithms.

Data transparency in local government: Where next after the pandemic?

29/03/2021

With the vaccine rollout and light at the end of the COVID tunnel, can local authorities revert their data strategies to pre-pandemic days?

Leader of Northumberland Council is deposed

03/09/2020

The leader of a scandal-hit council compared to North Korea has been deposed after a vote of no confidence at a fiery meeting.

Auditors call for ‘clarity’ of privately financed contracts

29/01/2020

Auditors in Scotland have called for ‘more clarity’ when it comes to financing public infrastructure projects.

Call for views on the financial reporting of local authorities

18/09/2019

The Government has called on council workers to give their views to a review on the quality of the financial reporting of local authorities in England.

Council pension fund calls on housebuilders to improve transparency

04/09/2019

One of the biggest local government pension funds has called on housebuilding companies to improve the way they report environmental, social and governance issues.

Northern leaders to review controversial HS2 scheme

27/08/2019

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership will hold a review into HS2 to ensure the North is ‘properly heard’ in the Government-commissioned review of the scheme.

Council chiefs defend record of transparency in maintained schools

17/07/2019

Local authority leaders have hit back at a Government suggestion that academies are more transparent and accountable than council schools.

Companies House reforms to make detection of criminal behaviour ‘easier’

30/05/2019

The Government has launched a consultation on proposals it says will bring about the ‘biggest changes’ to Companies House in nearly two centuries.

One in five local bodies failing to safeguard value, MPs warn

15/03/2019

One in five councils do not have proper arrangements in place to secure value for money for taxpayers, a new report has warned today.

5,000 councils ‘go digital’ thanks to multi-million pound cash injection

24/04/2018

Thousands of communities will be able to access more information about local politics thanks to a £5m cash injection designed to ‘digitally enable’ councils.

Watchdog calls for more transparency over non-domestic rates distribution

08/12/2017

The Scottish Government must be more transparent in the way it reports on its non-domestic (business) rates, the official financial watchdog has warned.

Lib Dems call for mandatory reporting on ethnicity pay gap

10/05/2017

The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to introduce mandatory reporting on the ethnicity pay gap for organisations with 250 employees or more if elected.

Tackling modern slavery with supply chain transparency

22/03/2017

A new public database is committed to ending modern slavery by making supply chains more transparent. William Eichler finds out more.

Taxpayers denied full access to information on public spending

27/09/2016

The taxpayer is being prevented from fully scrutinising the way public funds are spent, anti-corruption group warns.

Councils warn about new transparency burdens

12/07/2016

Government plans to make councils publish more data will put further financial pressures on councils for ‘no apparent purpose’, London Councils has warned.

Councils need to be more transparent when procuring waste services, report urges

04/05/2016

Local government needs to be more transparent when it comes to assessing waste service performance, a new report says.

Watchdog calls for improved scrutiny of public spending

04/05/2016

The increased used of outsourcing and devolution to local areas is undermining Parliament's ability to hold the Government to account, the public spending watchdog is warning today.

LEPs not transparent enough warns auditors

23/03/2016

The National Audit Office (NAO) has issued a warning over the transparency of local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).

Report calls for greater accountability in the capital's BIDs

25/02/2016

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) should not be used to fill in the gaps left by local councils in London, according to a new report published today.

Camden adopts open data charter

13/11/2015

Camden Council has made a push towards becoming more transparent by committing to a new Open Data Charter.

Black hole spending review image

Black hole spending review

Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis, reflects on what the Spending Review means for local government.
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