§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he
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§ Ms Beverley HughesMy right hon. Friend has made no assessment of the workings of the Audit Commission Act 1998 as regards access to information. We consider that the right of the public to inspect the accounts and supporting papers of local authorities is an important part of the overall accountability framework. It is the responsibility of each local authority to decide whether information on personal or contractual matters in any particular case is owed a degree of confidentiality and to act accordingly.