GOVERNMENT REJECTS CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC SPENDING
November 3, 2009 12:00 AM
Liberal Democrat Councillor Keith Aspen has called on the government to deliver on its promise of making public spending more accountable by publishing report on the money spend by all public bodies in the area.
Local Spending Reports are required by the Sustainable Communities Act, which was passed in 2007, but the work has yet to get underway.
Councillor Aspden also expressed concern that the scope of the spending reports would not be as wide as first promised.
He said, "Originally the Local Spending Reports were to include all public bodies that spent money in the area. The latest information from the Government is that only local authorities, including police and fire authorities will be included, along with Primary Care Trusts."
"Clearly if public spending is to be truly accountable to local people these reports need to show spending from all public bodies."
Last week, during an opposition day debate on the topic, the government rejected an all party motion calling for reassurances that the spending reports would include all public bodies.
City of York MP Hugh Bayley did not vote in the debate.
Councillor Aspden, who proposed the implementation of the Sustainable Communities Act in York, said, "It is very disappointing to see the government rejecting these calls for openness and transparency in public spending."
"There will be many difficult decisions made on public spending made over the next few months and years and it is therefore even more important that public spending is made more accountable."
"I hope that the government will reconsider it's position and get on with preparing these reports as soon as possible."
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