§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost will be of the inspections to be conducted in the Torbay unitary authority area into(a) corporate governance and (b) first tier authorities; how many officials will be involved in undertaking each inspection; and what the cost will be of producing a report after each inspection. [52484]
§ Dr. WhiteheadTorbay was one of a number of authorities selected for corporate governance inspection. Corporate governance inspections have been a powerful diagnostic tool to examine the corporate capabilities and management systems of local councils. Torbay was selected in response to concerns raised by the Audit Commission and other inspectorates about the council's management capabilities for key services. The inspection is not yet complete and the report is unlikely to be published before this summer.
The inspection of Torbay was large, involving a range of representatives from different inspectorates working with the Audit Commission to examine the full range of service issues. The estimated cost of the inspection is approximately £70,000 based on a team of eleven people. Torbay council's net budget is approximately £123 million. It is hoped this inspection will result in significant improvements to the quality and efficiency of local service delivery with clear benefits for local people and the authority.