DCLG backs Bill giving councils power to compel service providers to appear at scrutiny hearings

The government said this week it would back a Private Member’s Bill giving councils a new power to haul organisations before public scrutiny hearings.

The organisations would then be required to justify their actions and respond in full to recommendations made by the councils to resolve the problem. Local authorities would therefore no longer have to rely on voluntary co-operation.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said that as a result, residents would be able to hold local service providers to account through their elected councillors.

The Overview and Scrutiny Bill, the brainchild of Bury North MP David Chaytor, would mean service providers being held to account for:

• Digging up roads, pavements and gardens for repairs but then leaving them in worse condition
• Station safety, lighting, facilities, access and other issues for commuters
• Bus routes, including pick-up points
• Other facilities such as local sports facilities, museums and libraries.

The DCLG said councils would also have strengthened powers to scrutinise all the activities of Job Centre Plus on issues such as worklessness.

Communities Secretary John Denham said: “Local people should be able to elect councillors who can get back to them on the performance of all local public services, not just the ones run by the council itself.

“This Bill will give councils the ability to shine a spotlight on services not delivering for local people and demand action on behalf of their communities to resolve local problems. There should be no hiding place from awkward questions for company bosses about why they are not providing the high quality local public services people are entitled to.”

David Chaytor said he was delighted the government was backing the bill. “This will allow councils to step in and fix problems and raise standards where local public services are seen to be falling short of what is expected of them,” he added.