At least £100bn of public sector expenditure will be put under the scrutiny of local government in plans unveiled this week by communities secretary, John Denham.
However, the Local Government Association has claimed the Government’s plans, revealed in a consultation paper on local democracy, do not go far enough.
Denham plans to give councils more scrutiny powers over public transport issues and utility companies, among other areas. He described current scrutiny arrangements as ‘the lion that failed to roar’.
Denham also vowed to look at the relationship between central and local government, making the boundaries clearer.
He said he would consider putting the principles of the relationship into legislation, but he favoured having an ombudsman and joint select committee of both Houses of Parliament.
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