§ 24. Mr. Nigel GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to deliver high quality, low cost services.
§ Mr. StewartThe Government are committed to the provision of high quality, low cost local services and have taken a number of steps to achieve this. These include
—our plans to reform the structure of local government:—the introduction of the citizens charter, the principles of which my right hon. Friend hopes will be adopted by all authorities;—the requirement that authorities subject certain services to competitive tendering;—support for action by the Accounts Commission to improve value for money in Scottish local government;—the provisions in the Local Government Act 1992 requiring local authorities to publish their standards of performance in delivering services in the light of a direction issued by the Accounts Commission.