Comments on: Council spending http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/ Heather Brooke is an award-winning writer, journalist and activist Sun, 29 Apr 2012 09:44:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Elis-Williams http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 David Elis-Williams Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:09:39 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/#comment-1000 The position in Wales is slightly different. The rights are given by the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 and the corresponding guide is here : http://www.wao.gov.uk/assets/englishdocuments/WAO_Council_Accounts_A5_eng.pdf This year the date for closing accounts in Wales is end July so you can expect public inspection rights to be typically one month later than in England in 2006. The inspection rights do contain an exemption from disclosure of information about council staff, both in England and Wales (although differently worded). The exercise of these rights is not always as rare as is suggested. At my authority (I am a local authority Treasurer) the rights are exercised more often than not each year and we are prepared for this to happen. The position in Wales is slightly different. The rights are given by the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 and the corresponding guide is here :

http://www.wao.gov.uk/assets/englishdocuments/WAO_Council_Accounts_A5_eng.pdf

This year the date for closing accounts in Wales is end July so you can expect public inspection rights to be typically one month later than in England in 2006.

The inspection rights do contain an exemption from disclosure of information about council staff, both in England and Wales (although differently worded).

The exercise of these rights is not always as rare as is suggested. At my authority (I am a local authority Treasurer) the rights are exercised more often than not each year and we are prepared for this to happen.

]]> By: heather http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/comment-page-1/#comment-999 heather Wed, 05 Jul 2006 13:57:23 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/#comment-999 Thanks Martin for the correction! Thanks Martin for the correction!

]]> By: Jonathan Mitchell http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/comment-page-1/#comment-998 Jonathan Mitchell Tue, 04 Jul 2006 19:45:15 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/#comment-998 See Stirrat v City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 SLT 274 (upheld without written opinions in Inner House): "the right to inspect the local authority's accounts and supporting documentation is for a restricted period only. However irksome to the officials it may be, for that period arrangements must be made to provide access to the documentation to the persons interested in it and access has to be provided within that interval of time." Again, the background was that nobody in memory had ever asked to see full vouching. Charges cannot be made; see also SPH v. City of Edinburgh Council, http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/CA13_03.html (?perhaps different in E&W?). See Stirrat v City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 SLT 274 (upheld without written opinions in Inner House): “the right to inspect the local authority’s accounts and supporting documentation is for a restricted period only. However irksome to the officials it may be, for that period arrangements must be made to provide access to the documentation to the persons interested in it and access has to be provided within that interval of time.” Again, the background was that nobody in memory had ever asked to see full vouching. Charges cannot be made; see also SPH v. City of Edinburgh Council, http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/CA13_03.html (?perhaps different in E&W?).

]]> By: Martin Rosenbaum http://heatherbrooke.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/comment-page-1/#comment-997 Martin Rosenbaum Mon, 03 Jul 2006 14:00:21 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2006/checking-council-accounts/#comment-997 Small factual correction - as the producer of the programme Michael Crick was working on, I should point out that he was actually one of two people who had asked Wandsworth for such information during a 14 year period. Small factual correction – as the producer of the programme Michael Crick was working on, I should point out that he was actually one of two people who had asked Wandsworth for such information during a 14 year period.

]]>