Sustainable Communities Act 2007
- Local Spending
Reports
The Sustainable Communities Act 2007
(“SCA”) became law in October 2007, and provides a statutory framework for councils
in England, working with local people and community groups, to put forward proposals
on sustainable improvements to economic, environmental and social wellbeing.
One of the key proposals under the SCA requires that the Secretary of State makes
arrangements for the production of Local Spending Reports. These reports will provide
information on expenditure by certain bodies exercising public functions in relation
to a given area and over a defined period. The bodies, expenditure, area and period
to be covered in a Report are to be determined in accordance with arrangements made
by the Secretary of State.
The aim of Local Spending Reports is to support local authorities, their partners
and local people in promoting the sustainability of local communities by providing
more information about the funding that is spent in their area.
In order to direct how bodies exercising public functions should do this, The Sustainable
Communities (Production of Local Spending Reports) Arrangements 2009 were published
at the end of April 2009.
The following summary explains who will be subject to the requirement under the
SCA 2007 to provide local spending reports:
Who will be required to prepare and provide local spending
reports under the SCA?
The following bodies will be required to provide and collate information for, and
prepare, local spending reports:
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The
Department for Work and Pensions;
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Greater London Authority;
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Broads Authority;
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Lee Valley Regional Park Authority; and |
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Any authority which on 1 April 2009 was – |
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A local authority |
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A police authority under s.3 Police Act 1996
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A fire and rescue authority
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A waste disposal authority
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A national park authority |
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A health authority (incl. Primary Care Trust, Strategic Health
Authority, NHS Trust and Ambulance Trust)
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What information should the local spending report cover?
For each of the bodies referred to above, which will be required
to prepare local spending reports under the SCA, the following information:
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The Department for Work and Pensions: |
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Attendance allowance
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Bereavement benefits
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Carers allowance
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Council tax benefit
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Disability living allowance |
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Housing benefit
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Incapacity benefit
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Income supportncome support
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Jobseekers allowance
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Pension credit
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Winter fuel payments for the financial year beginning on 1 April 2006.
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The Department for Work and Pensions: |
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For each health authority, the revenue expenditure for that financial year |
For the purposes of these provisions, ‘capital expenditure’ is any expenditure on
the acquisition of fixed assets, or any expenditure which increases the value of
such assets, and ‘revenue expenditure’ is any expenditure (not being capital expenditure)
in relation to the provision of services to the public, including expenditure in
relation to goods and services, staffing, heating, lighting and cleaning.
What geographical area should be covered in compiling information for a local spending
report?
Each authority is to collate information for and report in respect of its own administrative
area, save that there a County Council does so for the relevant County, District
Councils are not required to do so.
In the case of the Department for Work and Pensions, it must report with a breakdown
by local authority administrative area.
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For More Information Contact:
Pav Jawanda
TPP Law Limited
53 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 ODB
t 020 7620 0888
f 020 7620 0778
e info@tpplaw.co.uk
Email:
Pav
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