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Press Release

LGA responds to Open Public Services White Paper

11 July 2011

Devolution from Whitehall must not be tied up in red tape - LGA statement

Responding to the Open Public Services White Paper, Sir Merrick Cockell, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:

"Public services are more accountable, more efficient and more in tune with the needs and aspirations of local people when they are delivered locally. Now Ministers need to deliver on their commitment to let go and devolve services down to the local level.

“We urge Government not to hold back. No department should consider itself above the need to break up the centralised power they have held over local areas.

"It is vital that the devolution of power from Whitehall down to town halls and communities is comprehensive and not tied up in red tape.

"Local government has a key role to play putting people in charge of the services they rely on.

"Councils are not only the most efficient part of the public sector but the most reforming too and local government has consistently been at the forefront of making services more open and accountable.

“This spirit of innovation and forward thinking is the result of local decisions being taken about local needs, by local people.

“The Local Government Group has put forward proposals for a radical devolution of power which would save billions of pounds over five years through pooling budgets at a local level and stripping the public sector of swathes of bureaucracy and unnecessary regulations.”



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