The salaries of English councils' top 2,500 managers will have to be published in their annual statement of accounts from next year, local government minister, Rosie Winterton, announced at last week's SOLACE conference. But, while welcoming her proposals, SOLACE pointed out that its own guidance six months ago already recommended the same policy. Ms Winterton said she would introduce ‘new legislative rules before the end of the year' which would require councils to publish information on ‘salary, bonuses, pensions, perks and compensation pay-offs in their next annual statement of accounts.' She said: ‘We are setting out some clear mood music about making sure every taxpayers' pound is worked as hard as possible.' Her comments follow criticism of chief executive salaries by both Labour and Conservative politicians. Shadow chief secretary, Philip Hammond, told the same conference a Tory Government would limit chief executive salaries to £150,000. Communities secretary, John Denham, also criticised senior council salaries at the Labour Party conference last month. Shadow communities secretary, Caroline Spelman, said last week the changes ‘do not go far enough', and claimed all spending above £500 should be publicised. But David Clark, director general of SOLACE, said: ‘Finally, the Government has come into line with the advice SOLACE sent all its members six months ago, which was to publish all details of salaries and expenses on their websites as soon as the figures are available. Our advice is probably the most downloaded document on our website.'
