Local Government Minister John Healey has today launched a consultation on giving the public greater access to information on how efficiently their council is being run. Mr Healey wants to put council tax payers themselves at the heart of the drive to make £5bn town hall savings over the next three years - worth an average of £184 per Band D council tax payer. The Minister said council tax payers should see for themselves how efficiently their council is being run when they receive their bills, through proposals that complement the Government’s aim that taxpayers receive the maximum value for money. Under these proposals, all council tax bills would include the efficiency savings the local authority has made.Information accompanying the bill would show the average level of efficiency savings achieved by similar councils over the same time period so people can see how well their council is performing compared to other areas. This will give tax payers information they can use to challenge their council and hold them to account if they are performing poorly, whether for example by petitioning their council, or through the ballot box.

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3 September 2008
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