Cllr Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Shadow Minister for Local Government today led calls for the Welsh Government to do more to promote accountability and transparency in Local Government in Wales. Moving the motion in a debate at the National Assembly Janet said:

“There is great appetite for information and greater transparency among the public at large and in the current difficult financial climate greater openness about council expenditure would go a long way to satisfying this appetite.

“We, the Welsh Conservatives, are calling for Local Government in Wales to publish all expenditure over £500 a policy made easy by advances in technology such as the internet.

“We’d also like to see the introduction of referenda on council tax hikes over 3.5%. This would help make local councillors more accountable and responsive to their communities, as well as putting pressure on councils to justify properly their reasons behind the rise.

“Unfortunately the Welsh Government has failed to set the agenda on this issue. Twelve years since the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act I would like to see that spirit of openness built upon so that we can bring greater transparency to Local Government in Wales.”