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• 1043

  07/02/2011, 11:18 AM :: Posted by Stuart Macleod (Posts 5)

  Code of recommended practice for local authorities (closed)

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  This thread is aimed at providing those affected by the Code the opportunity to discuss and comment on the document.

  The Code is concerned with making data generated by local authorities available and accessible to the public. The formal and high level document is intended to set out the requirement to publish data, the minimum expectations and the considerations while addressing such issues as the scope, formatting and timing of the publication of data.

  • Code of Practice - Consultation

  The Code will be uploaded to the site for a period of 5 weeks (until 14 March 2011), during this time we will be grateful for your feedback.

  Comments may also be emailed to transparencycode@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

  Filed under: Local government, Spending, Transparency, Code of Practice

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• 1045 in reply to 1043

  07/02/2011, 1:54 PM :: Posted by RichardP (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  Hi, Congratulations on doing something a bit different to the standard consultations. Was just wondering of comments made in this Forum also count as responses to the consultation and get considered in the same way?

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• 1046 in reply to 1045

  07/02/2011, 2:45 PM :: Posted by Stuart Macleod (Posts 5)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  Thanks. Yes, comments made here will contribute as responses to the consultation.

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• 1047 in reply to 1043

  07/02/2011, 8:58 PM :: Posted by RickSeymour (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  * Data should be no more than 3 clicks from the Authority main landing page... ie Links must be clear.
  

  * There should be a special "Data & Transparency section" on a council's website. Just downloadable files.... no text.

  * CSV Files - Headers in the first row (no title on row A).

  * CSV Files - No "Inline Totals".

  * Files should be described simply by their filename. Filename structure should be standardised

             ie ......   500spend-2010-12.csv   (description-year-month.extension)

  * Members of the public should be able to demand that councils rename incorrect files
  

  * Every council should have:-

           Building asset list. Including Address (postcode in separate column), floor space, employees, vacant or used/%, for sale or not

           Vehicle asset list (vehicle type (eg Ceremonial Vehicle/ Bin Wagon), which department, number plate, date of purchase/hire, owned/lease hire,value)

           Open Land assets, location (lat/lng NOT EASTINGS AND NORTHINGS!!), postcode (if avail), size, for sale or not
  

  *National Government should DICTATE what columns should be in each of the above files.  KEEP THEM SHORT AND SIMPLE

  * Publish to Central government, file names inline with ONS ie

  http://assets.gov.uk/data/30.building.csv                  - Lancashire County Council Building Assets
  

  http://assets.gov.uk/data/30UH.building.csv              - Lancaster Council Building Assets
  

  There should be an Index Page on assets.gov.uk indicating last update.CSV files dynamically generated. Name of last uploaded displayed on index page (include GSI email address)
  

  * As we've seen from Police.UK, developers want RAW data, not analysed information.
  

  * For the reportable earnings threshold of £58200 per year is A LOT OF MONEY! The reportable amount should be lower, linked to higher tax rate, presently £37100. This represents an amount significantly over the UK national average earnings, £22800. 

           "JOB TITLE","NAME OF EMPLOYEE","DEPARTMENT","EMPLOYEE START","JOB DATE START","JOB DATE FINISHED","BASIC SALARY", "BONUS TOTAL","GOVERNMENT PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS"

      Note I've included EMPLOYEE Start and JOB Start...... This would stop employees being made redundant and moved into other high paid positions.

  There should be NO opt-out for senior staff to hide their name, they work in the PUBLIC sector and assume the responsibilities that go with that.

   * On file download pages there should be a comments section for members of the public to share their views, and also tag the file.

  * Associated with the £500 expenditure limit, I should be able to search for the invoice code on the council website and download the associated invoice (scanned or electronic). Contractors should NOT include payment details on their invoices, which should be registered on a private internal system. Each contractor should have a unique reference number so that I can search the council website for all contracts signed between the authority and that contractor.

  * If a council "Copyrights" information, I should still be allowed to download for my own use, and for the purposes of fraud prevention
  

   

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• 1048 in reply to 1043

  08/02/2011, 4:55 AM :: Posted by stevesky (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  The suggestion of showing all salaries is misplaced.   

  "A naming and shaming  of bureaucrats  culture is  misplaced and out of touch " .

   If I was in this position I would opt out as many others would do .This would create more cost and bureaucracy as its  dis- respects   the individual right to privacy .

  
  

  We are in a market economy, if we have to cut to what we can afford this is painful reality , dont add insults to injury to hardworking professional groups.

  This suggestion demonises ,vilifies and insult their intelligence and commitment to  public service.

  
  

   

  
  

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• 1049 in reply to 1043

  08/02/2011, 9:27 AM :: Posted by J. James Angletin (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  Will the code be statutory or recommended?  If it is statutory, what legislation will bind councils to comply? If the code has no legal force what will encourage Councils to comply? 

  Filed under: legal force, legislation, statutory

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• 1050 in reply to 1048

  08/02/2011, 11:00 AM :: Posted by RickSeymour (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  One of the criticisms levied at some local authorities is that senior managers engage in "empire building", employing high paid managers to justify their own salary.

  If council X employed 10 people earning over Y and the neighbouring council Z had 50 people earning over Y then residents in council Z would therefore be able to go "I'm not prepared to pay your salaries..... why can't you be more like council X"

  One of points I pulled out from Cumbria County Councils audited accounts that last year the tax payers in Cumbria HAD to pay £351169 (that is the correct number of digits) to fund the chief executives pension pot.......... is that fair? is that right? Being able to hide senior managers pay hides this abuse of power.

  
  

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• 1051 in reply to 1047

  08/02/2011, 10:05 PM :: Posted by stevesky (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  I feel this is a misplaced perspective and lacks business insight .Individuals have a right to privacy and  employment contracts have been accepted on that basis, retrospective disclosure is unreasonable.

  Analysing raw data solves little when the expenditure has already taken place .

   The business analysis should focus at the begining of the end to end process 

   The focus should be at the tendering and contracting stage 

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• 1052 in reply to 1049

  11/02/2011, 3:19 PM :: Posted by Stuart Macleod (Posts 5)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  J. James Angletin:

  Will the code be statutory or recommended?  If it is statutory, what legislation will bind councils to comply? If the code has no legal force what will encourage Councils to comply? 

  The code is recommended however, the Act with which the code is based (Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980) does provide the power, should it be deemed necessary at a later date, to require publication of information specified in the code by way of regulations, thereby making publication a legislative requirement.

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• 1054 in reply to 1050

  17/02/2011, 1:24 PM :: Posted by JackC (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  RickSeymour:

  One of the criticisms levied at some local authorities is that senior managers engage in "empire building", employing high paid managers to justify their own salary.

  If council X employed 10 people earning over Y and the neighbouring council Z had 50 people earning over Y then residents in council Z would therefore be able to go "I'm not prepared to pay your salaries..... why can't you be more like council X"

  One of points I pulled out from Cumbria County Councils audited accounts that last year the tax payers in Cumbria HAD to pay £351169 (that is the correct number of digits) to fund the chief executives pension pot.......... is that fair? is that right? Being able to hide senior managers pay hides this abuse of power.

  
  

  Great point that you have made, never thought of it like that
  

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• 1058 in reply to 1043

  19/02/2011, 2:01 PM :: Posted by stationmaster (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  There is all too often a conflict between the word "consultation" and council employees determination to do what they want to do irrespective of any comments made during a consultation process.

  Derbyshire Dales District Council for instance have decided ,despite adverse comments from voters and taxpayers, to spend £160,000 renovating a small toilet in Bakewell.The toilet is less that 15 years old, is in perfect working order and doesn't need a massive renovation.A 3 bed detached house can be built for £160,000, but some council employees are oblivious to the current austerity which should stop this sort of waste.

  I hope comments received during your consultation are taken on board and decisions made from the position of what is plain common sense.

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• 1059 in reply to 1048

  21/02/2011, 12:35 PM :: Posted by martinw (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  I don't understand why an individual's salary should be a private matter; particularly when employed by a public body. Many salaries can be worked out fairly well already for military, police etc, based on published pay-scales. Perhaps I lack imagination but the only reasons for non-disclosure of salary that come to mind involve the baser elements of the human character.
  

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• 1060 in reply to 1043

  23/02/2011, 11:12 AM :: Posted by PaulaH (Posts 1)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  The Comments made about this code is interesting, but appear to be made only from Principal Authority points of view. This Code will also affect every Parish and Town Council in the Country. Because of thier nature being at the most basic local level many of the requirements of the code will have a more direct impact.Many of the Local Councils do not have the finance, expertise, staff, and facilities to comply with the requirements of disclosure and in order to provide that level asked would need to increase the precept, thereby putting the full funding of complying with the code on the very people this code is designed to give transparancy too.

  In smaller communities many of those employed by the Council, are contractors, or supply the Council work and live together making all thier details known could have a damaging effect on a community and ability of the Council to undertake thier work.  There needs to be a flexability within the code for Parish and Town Councils that takes into account the diversity and range of the sector. from the tiny parish of under 50 electors with a precept of  a couple of hundred and a clerk who works on the kitchen table to the large councils with 30K+ electors 500K+ precept and 20-30 employees.  

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• 1061 in reply to 1043

  25/02/2011, 6:52 AM :: Posted by Volunteer1 (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  I am a volunteer director/trustee of a locally based small charity, and we have been experiencing a complete nightmare in trying to get access to information from our local Town Council most of which should already be in the public domain. 

  Stamford Town Council which serves a population of around 20,000 people and currently has a precept of over £400K (so not a small council by any stretch of the imagination) will not even comply with providing the basic information it already has a statutory duty to make available (including minutes of meetings, agendas, policies and procedures) let alone anything more advanced such as salaries, contracts etc. It has completely flouted Freedom of Infomation provisions and requests.

  Unless and until Parish & Town Councils are made accountable to external bodies there is no chance that they will comply with making more advanced information such as that proposed here available. Stamford Town Council also routinely exclude the press and public from part of the majority of their meetings, again this is a power they are only supposed to exercise in limited circumstances and even then should report in the public domain on the business they transact in these 'closed sessions' but fail to do this as well.

  They ignore communications by letter, e-mail, formal complaints and even appeals made in the public forums of Full Town Council meetings, and act as a complete law unto themselves.

  Currently no matter how 'rogue' a Town Council are, there is no external body that a member of the public can complain to about the actions or failings of a Parish or Town Council . The Local Government Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over these Councils and some of our local councillors have been heard to be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect that they will soon be released from any accountability under the Standards Board and Code of Conduct.

  Reporting on Funding for Voluntary & Community Groups  & Section 137 

  Parish & Town Councils generally have been shown in the main to make poor use of their powers to provide grants to voluntary and community sector organisations which they can make from Section 137 funding. They can currently precept for up to £6.15 per elector per year under their Section 137 powers. 

  I believe that Parish & Town Councils should be forced to make an annual report on how much they could raise if they fully utilised their powers under Section 137 each year, how much they actuall do raise, and if they do not raise the full amount explain the reasons why they have not done so. 

  For example Stamford Town Council have 15,702 electors on the electoral role at present, so could currently raise up to  £96,567.30 per year @ £6.15 under this power, but currently only raise a total of £7,500 @ £0.48 and are proposing to cut this further to £5,000 @ £0.31 for 2011/12, but very few members of the public are even aware of this and it is obvious that many of the Councillors themseleves do not understand their precepting powers. Being forced to report on this might help local accountability and transparency.

   Reporting on Salaries

  I believe all salaries over the higher rate tax threshold should be disclosed alongside purely the job titles these apply to.

  I do not believe there is any need to name the recipients, although this would have applied to the salary I used to earn which would have fallen within the lower threshold I am proposing when I used to work in the NHS and I personally would have had no problem with my name being published as well.

  Members Expenses

  I have a concern at the number of public appointments and councillors who serve on more than one Council  who when their expenses and allowances are combined are claiming significant sums form the public purse. I think where Councillors are in this position they should make a single declaration about all expenses from all public sources that they are claiming, which is then declared by all the public bodies they are members/connected to 

  This also begs the question where some people are serving on so many bodies about how well they might be carrying out their duties given that they are spreading themsleves so thinly, again many members of the public are unaware of just how widespread this is.

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• 1063 in reply to 1043

  25/02/2011, 11:35 AM :: Posted by jacobs1 (Posts 2)

  Re: Code of recommended practice for local authorities

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  Thanks for the info. 

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