The WLGA has today confirmed local government’s commitment to ensuring that the key decisions affecting local communities in Wales are made in as transparent a way as possible.
The commitment follows the publication of a Wales Audit Office Report that identifies how councils in Wales have made significant strides in improving local scrutiny processes, while highlighting the need for a more consistent approach to be taken across all councils in Wales.
Responding to the report, a Welsh Local Government Association spokesperson said:
“Local government in Wales faces one of the most challenging and difficult periods in its history. The combined pressures of significant cuts to the local government budget, alongside a growing demand for public services, means that councils across Wales are being forced to make some very difficult decisions on how local services should be delivered and run. Local government in Wales is committed to ensuring that these vitally important decisions are subject to effective public scrutiny so that the best possible deal can be struck for local communities in Wales.
“Local government continues to work closely with the Wales Audit Office, and other partner agencies like the Centre for Public Scrutiny, to ensure the decisions being made by councils are done so in as consistent and transparent a way as possible. The importance of effective scrutiny in terms of the performance, key decisions and policies of local councils, as well as any other public body or service provider can not be understated, and there is a real enthusiasm within Welsh councils to improve accessibility so that elected members and local communities can take a much more active role within local decision making processes.
“The aim of all councils in Wales is to make good decisions that achieve the best possible outcomes for the communities they serve. The scrutiny process has a key role to play in achieving this and the WLGA will continue to provide a wide range of support services so that robust overview and scrutiny processes can be put in place to support the decision making processes of all local councils in Wales.”
