Council budgets

[dorisday]

Is there anywhere members of the public can find out how council money to spent and what on?

[treaclefight]

access details vary from council to council, but they are obligated to tell the council tax payers where there money has gone, give em a ring, even the receptionists should be able to point you in right direction.

[brawburd]

Check here if your council has a website. You may find info you want on the site, otherwise you could send request for information. All councils by law require to publish this info, so you shouldn't have too many problems getting it. http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/QuickFind/AZLocalGovern
ment/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=1001101&chk=tzXGgX

[Gef]

I thought it was all contained in the pack of lies that they send you with your council tax statement.

[ijh]

you actaully have the right once a year to go through the accounts yourself - and even check that your local councillors supplied valid receipts for their expenses!! At the time of the local authority's annual audit, a local authority must make available to 'any persons interested' all 'books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts' relating to the audit. These must be available for inspection for 15 days, and public notice given by advertising it in local newspapers. This is one of the most powerful access rights on the UK statute books. There is no exemption for commercial confidentiality, indeed, the only information that can be withheld are details about identifiable members of the council's staff. An authority that fails to allow such inspection commits an offence. from http://www.yourrights.org.uk/your-rights/chapters/
the-right-to-know/local-government-information/index.shtml