Government aims to boost transparency of public spending

Wed 06 Jan 2010

Local authorities in the UK are to publish spending reports on the internet, the government has confirmed.

According to communities secretary John Denham, the taxpayer has a right to know how their money is being used by councils across the country.

The information contained in the spending reports is already available to the public but not on the internet or indeed in one single location.

Mr Denham stated that the new facility, which will be unveiled later this year, would be much clearer and user friendly than the existing system.

He said this would form part of a wider transformation in the delivery of public services.

Mr Denham added that the project would also make councils more people-centred and shift power to the general public.

Richard Tinham, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood, said: "It remains to be seen whether the public will be convinced by the move towards further transparency and accountability.

"One would hope it reduces the burden placed on local authorities by the numerous Freedom of Information Act requests they receive each year, but the reverse could be true.

"Members of the public increasingly wish to know how their money is being spent and to what extent local benefits materialise from such expenditure."

This coincides with calls from the Treasury Committee for Alistair Darling to be more open about how he would address the UK's budget deficit and likely public spending cuts.