10 Ways Councils Are Using AI to Transform Public Services
Councils are increasingly adopting AI-based solutions to improve services. LocalGov Assistant editor Izzy Lepone has collected 10 innovative case studies.
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
