§ Charlotte AtkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to amend the rules regulating the provision of access to information by local authorities. [46163]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI have today laid before the House two statutory instruments: the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Amendment Regulations 2002 and the Local Authorities (Access to Meetings and Documents) (Period of Notice) (England) Order 2002.
Our aim in modernising local government is to make local decision-making more accountable. We have listened very carefully to the responses we received to the consultation on access to information in local government which we launched in April 2001. We believe it is right that local people should have earlier warning of the important decisions that local authorities take and of the meetings where these decisions take place. In line with this the statutory instruments will have the effect of increasing the notice period authorities have to give of such decisions or such meetings from three to five days.
This reform will encourage greater participation by local people in the democratic process. Decisions that local authorities take will benefit from the transparency that public debate brings. Decision-making will be brought closer to those affected by those decisions.
Our consultation also asked views on two other issues—proposals to revise the definition of "exempt" information given by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the framing of guidance on financial thresholds for key executive decisions.
We currently have no plans to make changes to the definition of exempt information, but we will consult further in the planned review of the access to information regime, planned for summer 2002.
£ million 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 Gross administration costs DTLR (railways directorate) 2.1 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.7 Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF)1 8 7 8 11 14 Strategic Rail Authority (SRA)2 — — — — 15 Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) 8 8 8 12 13 Total staff costs British Railways Board1 762 102 85 77 69 Notes:
1. The 2000–01 figures for OPRAF and BRB cover the 10 months to 31 January 2001.
2. Staff costs for the two months to 31 March 2001. Taken from table 4, page 92 of the SRA annual report 2000–01.