Scotland's councils want to take control of health, economic development and further education. In a secret document, submitted to the Scottish Executive, the councils' umbrella organisation, COSLA, called for ‘local democratic accountability' to be brought to regeneration and local economic development, health improvement and primary health care and further education. The plans are outlined in a paper sent to finance minister, Tom McCabe, just before Christmas, as he carries out consultation on ‘Transforming public services'. Entitled From confusion to conclusion, the COSLA document states: ‘COSLA believes all public services which are locally delivered should also be locally accountable. Citizens must be informed and engaged in decisions over the range of local services and the way they use them.' It claims COSLA is working on how best to do this, and will have a programme of work to deliver it by the end of this month. Currently, there are only a few councillors represented on health boards, boards of local enterprise companies and bodies running further education. Council leaders also want to work as an ‘equal partner' with the executive on changes to public services, with reform made only where there is ‘clear evidence' of better-quality services, efficiency gains and greater local accountability. COSLA's plans have been revealed as the Scottish Lib Dems announced their own proposals for increasing councillors' powers. The party is considering giving the three island councils – Orkney, Western Isles and Shetland councils – responsibility for health and enterprise companies in its Holyrood campaign, as part of its bid to cut local bureaucracy. If the pilot is successful, it would be broadened out to the other councils in Scotland. The Scottish Executive said it was currently collating all responses on its Transforming public services consultation and would ‘respond in due course
