Governance of local authorities must deliver value for taxpayers

• NAO Report: Local authority governance (external link)

Chair's comment

The Committee Chair, Meg Hillier MP, comments:

“It is worrying that one in five single tier local authorities and county councils do not have adequate arrangements in place to make sure taxpayers are getting value for money.

“As stretched local authorities look for ways to make ends meet, and risks to services increase, it is more important than ever that these checks and balances are in place and red flags raised by auditors are acted on.

“Central government has got to start taking responsibility for ensuring governance is effective across local government and local bodies need to ensure that their governance arrangements are robust and transparent to citizens.”

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image: NAO