LOCAL SPENDING REPORTS AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ACT 2007

That this House welcomes the provisions of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 requiring the publication of local spending reports; believes that people have a right to know how their money is spent by public bodies; especially welcomes the assurances given by the formerMinister for Local Government, the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth, that the local spending reports will include all public agencies; further welcomes the former Minister's assurance that the purpose is to achieve a report that identifies how much will be spent in each area by the authorities; is therefore disappointed that thelocal spending reports published so fardo not adhere to the assurances given by the former Minister and so callsfor proper local spending reports to be published, which give effect to those assurances; welcomes the commitment by the Secretary of State to report to Parliament by the end of 2009 on the publication of future local spending reports; and calls upon the Secretary of State to ensure that his report is debated by this House and voted on.