Council publishes quarterly spending report
Wednesday November 23, 2011
Britain’s most transparent council is now publishing quarterly reports on its detailed spending for each of its services.
Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council has become the first in the country to let taxpayers view these detailed budget data, exposing its spending decisions to open public scrutiny to a degree never seen before in local government.
While it has become routine for councils to publish their spending with suppliers, that only accounts for a minority of councils’ spending. H&F’s initiative goes further. By publishing details of its own spending in each service area, H&F council has become the first to provide a transparent quarterly view of the full picture.
Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said: "Hammersmith and Fulham have been at the forefront of delivering on the government transparency - from spending to property data to salaries. I commend them for this latest step in opening up their books to the press and public. Online transparency will save taxpayers' money by helping cutting out waste and getting more for less through better procurement."
H&F has been leading the move to greater transparency and already publishes a wealth of information online, including:
- senior staff salaries,
- councillors’ allowances,
- planning agreements (Section 106),
- the council’s asset register,
- all payments to suppliers over £500,
- departmental structure charts,
- answers to Freedom of Information Act enquiries,
- audio recordings of all council meetings.
Up-to-date information in all these categories is published at www.lbhf.gov.uk/transparency.
Cllr Harry Phibbs, cabinet member for community engagement, said: “Giving taxpayers open access to information on how their money is spent should be the cornerstone of democracy at every council.
"Our taxpayers are the eyes and ears of the council and we want them to hold us to account and scrutinise us on how their money is spent.”
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Transparency has so far been focused on transactions and contracts with suppliers but, to really let taxpayers know how their money is spent, the public sector needs to open the rest of the books.
"Hammersmith and Fulham should be applauded for continuing to pioneer greater transparency. This new data will allow for a much more informed debate about the council's priorities and help more people get more effectively involved in helping them find new savings."
