The central focus of this inquiry was to assess the extent to which Local Government is delivering good value for money and meeting the objectives of local authorities.
Witnesses Baroness Stowell of Beeston MBE, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, and Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society, Cabinet Office.
Witnesses Keith Davis, Director, Cross-Government, National Audit Office, and Alan Bryce, Head of Counter Fraud and Mark Wardman, Senior Manager, Audit Commission (at 5.15 pm).
Witnesses Matthew Jackson, Associate Director, Centre for Local Economic Strategies, Richard Macfarlane, Consultant, representing the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Oliver Henman, Head of Partnerships and International, National Council for Voluntary Organisations; Martin McTague, Chairman, Local Government Policy Unit, Federation of Small Businesses, Alun Rafique, Director, Market Dojo, and Dr Pedro Telles, University of Bangor (at 5.00 pm).