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New figures analysed from the 13 Total Place pilots show just 5% of local public spending is controlled by elected members, it emerged this week. The revelation that out of £7,000 per head spent on local public services, only £350 comes under democratic control, will form part of the LGA's case to ministers for more local influence, later this month. "It is absurd that people do not have a bigger say over how their taxes are spent in the area they live." Cllr David Parsons, LGA improvement board chair The figures reveal that out of an average £3bn public spend in an area, only £150m is the responsibility of councillors. The pilot submissions also show a huge overlap of different public authorities. In Durham, there are 47 funding streams for social housing, while in Luton/central Bedfordshire, there are 49 different public sector agencies. Cllr David Parsons, chairman of the Local Government Association improvement board, who revealed the figures at an LGA conference this week, said: ‘We will be discussing these figures at the next Total Place ministers' meeting.' In his own county, a shared pilot with Leicester City, the total spend is £6bn, of which the single-biggest sum is through the Department of Works and Pensions at £1.4bn. He added: ‘It is absurd that people do not have a bigger say over how their taxes are spent in the area they live. ‘During these tough times, democratically-elected councils have a vital role to play if people are to get the local services they demand and deserve.' The LGA will also use the figures as part of its case for spending less on quangos and reducing inefficient overlap of public agencies in its submission to the pre-Budget report. Cllr Parsons added: ‘Town halls are at the heart of the areas they represent. As the most efficient part of the public sector, councils are better placed than anyone to work with all the different organisations in an area to find ways of saving. A poll in September for the LGA found almost two-thirds of people (65%) think local councillors should make decisions about cuts to spending in their area. At a private seminar in Westminster this week, organised by London Councils and the CLG select committee, local government leaders and policy experts convened to discuss the future balance of power between central and local government, with Total Place taking centre stage. While cross-party – and central/local – consensus has emerged over the general benefits of the fledgling regime, local government leaders have been alarmed at their lack of control over local budgets, exposed by the LGA research. One senior Conservative figure said it was imperative that a commensurate increase in local leaders' powers and accountability must follow the devolution of budgets to local level. But other senior attendees agreed councillors and town hall officials must ‘step up to the plate', and simultaneously accept personal responsibility for a broader range of services, if the public were to understand who was accountable for services.

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WHITEHALL

Councils control just 5% of spend say Place pilots

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