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Town halls are being hampered by the failure of the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) producing its guidance on time. The delay has been caused by a shortage of lawyers and experts in the CLG, The MJ has learned. Changes to the standards system are likely to be delayed because the CLG has not managed to produce its regulations and guidance on scrutiny of local area agreements (LAAs) has suffered a similar fate. The LAAs are due to be up and running by 1 April, but councils can't put their scrutiny in place due to the delays. Corin Thomson, programme director for improvement at the Local Government Association said the delays were causing difficulties. ‘We are quite concerned about the delays. This is critical to the performance of local authorities and their LAAs.' Plans for powers to be handed over from the Standards Board for England to local standards committees were also expected on 1 April. They are now unlikely to be in place before May. The board was aiming for the April date, but it now faces delays to sending out its guidance because it has been paralysed by the CLG's failure to get its regulations out on time. In a bulletin it send to monitoring officers, the board explained the delay, and added: ‘We are working to publish it as soon as possible after the regulations are confirmed.' In the meantime, local authorities have been left in limbo. It is not the first time these delays have caused problems. Late last year, guidance on changes to local authorities pensions was delayed due to a shortage of lawyers. A spokesman for the CLG said: ‘The consultation on the Standards Board regulations has just ended. We are considering the responses and will publish final regulations in the spring.' In terms of the LAAs, he said final guidance would be published ‘shortly'. He added that the department was ‘continuing to deliver' for local government.

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WHITEHALL

CLG guidance is held up by lack of skilled staff

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