PUBLIC SECTOR
Town halls told to identify staff earning £58.2k
In a "new push for transparency", Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has proposed that councils identify all staff earning £58,200 or more.
Under the plans, town halls will be asked to publish an organisational chart including the names and responsibilities of staff paid over £58,200 - equivalent to the lowest Senior Civil Service pay band. Ministers believe this will “give the public the full picture of a council's management composition”. Staff could decline to have their name published.
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As well as local councils the code would also cover parish councils, national park authorities, Transport for London, police and fire authorities and waste authorities.
Secretary of State Eric Pickles said: "Transparency must be the underlying principal behind everything councils do. Every aspect of council business should be open to public scrutiny including senior pay, councillor expenses, local services and voluntary sector funding. This can help save money in tough times, protecting the frontline by cutting waste and unnecessary costs."
Want to know more?
Consultation on the draft Code of Recommended Practice for Local Government data transparency will close on 14 March 2011. It applies to England only. The Code is available for comment at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/codepracticeladataconsult.
The Code is published under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, which gives the Secretary of State the power to issue a code about the publication of information by local authorities about the discharge of their function. The Act also empowers the Secretary of State to introduce subsequent regulation should that be necessary to enforce greater transparency.