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Have you seen the latest discussion document from the Department for Communities and Local Government - A Code Of Recommended Practice For Local Authorities On Data Transparency.
The document can be downloaded from http://bit.ly/fOfb4A
Paragraph 9 of draft code requires local authorities to publish certain information. This data includes:
- Expenditure over £500, (including costs, supplier and transaction information).
Any sole-trader or body acting in a business capacity in receipt of payments of at least £500 of public money should expect such payments to be transparent. - Grants and payments under contract to the voluntary community and social enterprise sector should be clearly itemised and listed.
- Senior salaries, names (with the option for individuals to refuse to consent for their name to be published) job descriptions, responsibilities, budgets and numbers of staff. "Senior salaries" is defined as being all salaries which are above £58,200 (irrespective of post), which is the Senior Civil Service minimum pay band.
- An organisational chart of the staff structure of the local authority.
- Councillor allowances and expenses.
- Copies of contracts and tenders to businesses and to the voluntary community and social enterprise sector.
- Policies, performance, audits and key indicators on the authorities’ fiscal and financial position.
- Data of democratic running of the local authority including the constitution, election results, committee minutes, decision-making processes and records of decisions.
Paragraph 8 of the draft code states: "There are growing expectations that new technologies and data should support transparency and accountability. Local authorities should not seek to pre-determine the value of their data and the level of public demand; rather they should understand what data they hold, what their communities want and then release it in a way that allows the public, developers or the media to present it in new ways that makes its meaning more apparent. It is this process that will create demand for data."
Paragraphs 10 - 19 of the draft code prescribe how local authorities should publish (and correct) the information covered by the code. publication of information is expected to be online.
Our Parish Council Website is designed to help you fulfil these criteria cost effectively and with our unique help line to add material to the web pages easily with our helping hand approach.