§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions under what statutory authority local authorities make a financial charge for sending out copies of district auditors' public interest reports. [31744]
§ Mr. RaynsfordSection 18(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 requires a local authority to include with the documents open to public inspection before a meeting, a copy of any report prepared by an auditor under section 15(3) of the 1982 Act, which is to be discussed at the meeting. Section 100H of the Local Government Act 1972 provides that members of the public may require copies of such documents upon payment of a reasonable fee. Section 18A of the 1982 Act requires a local authority to provide to any member of the public on request, on payment of a reasonable sum, a copy of, or of part of, any report by an auditor under section 15(3) of the Act made to the authority before the conclusion of the audit.