We’ve heard plenty from government about their desire to slash costs and their hatred of unnecessary process. Everyone on the frontline knows that this is the case. We estimate that needless bureaucracy and red tape costs Westminster Council almost £1million a year – enough to cover the salaries of 26 teachers, 28 social workers or 44 street cleaners.Successive governments have imposed centralised targets and endless guidance. We have to provide Whitehall with more than 2,500 separate pieces of data on everything from noise, planning and pollution to food safety, rubbish collection and parkingWhile the coalition government has made some important strides in abolishing quangos and freeing local government from Whitehall diktats it needs to go further and faster to improve the delivery of local services and free councils from centralised control. For example, our submission to the Localism Bill noted that we currently have to provide 156 returns to central government (19 of which are new), supported by 466 specific indicators. This doesn’t include measures or returns requirement by governmental sub-contractors, third party agents, quangos or voluntary sector providers.While local authorities need to do their part and reduce the burdens they impose on individuals, families and communities, we would like to see real tangible action from the government in freeing councils from red tape. These are ten regulations that we think should be reformed or scrapped:1) The requirement for individual councillors to register as “data controllers” is unnecessary and costs money - £35 fee per councillor.2) The requirement to publish public notices in local newspapers. For example, this costs Westminster £100,000 per year despite the fact that our local papers are read by a tiny fraction of our residents. The notices could more cost effectively be placed on the internet3) Regulations for dismissing employees are excessively bureaucratic. Councils are faced with an excessive number of claims for unfair dismissal in employment tribunals – often in situations where the ex-employee’s performance or behaviour was clearly below the standard required.4) The entire FOI process needs to be removed. While it right that we are open and transparent it also requires massive resources to administer to the timescales and requirements as set out by legislation.5) Personal Health Social Economic Education should be taken off the national curriculum. This should be left to schools to decide.6) The “School Workforce Census” return is a statutory requirement focusing on staff data for teachers and support staff with contracts or Service Agreements of one month or greater. We believe this census should be scrapped.7) The requirement in the Local Government (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000 prevents cabinet members discussing a key decision with officers present within 28 days of that decision being taken. This causes unnecessary delays and serves no useful purpose.8) Where a looked after child is placed with a long term foster carer on the presumption that it is a permanent arrangement, the government should end the requirement for annual inspections. There should only be an inspection if there is some evidence of difficulty.9) Councils are required to meet the social care needs of people with no recourse to public funds, such as failed asylum seekers and failed habitual residents. This requirement shouldn’t be placed on local authority adult social care services but should be dealt with at a national level.10) The duty to secure that each children’s centre is within the remit of an advisory board is overly prescriptive. Governance arrangements for children’s centres should be a matter for local determination.
