Promise to deliver greater freedoms to local authorities welcomed by London Councils

The government's announcement that it will reduce the intense burden of assessment faced by local authorities has been welcomed by London Councils.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced that the number of national performance indicators local authorities need to report on will be cut from 1,200 to 198.

Councils will then work with local partners - such as the police or primary care trusts - to establish a list of up to 35 of these indicators that are most relevant to the challenges faced in their community. These indicators will then form the basis of their local area agreement (LAA), which will be used to measure how well the local authority and its partners are working to improve the area.

Welcoming the announcement, Councillor Merrick Cockell, Chairman of London Councils said:

"Anything to reduce the series of hoops councils have to jump through each year just to justify their existence is welcome. We have long argued that authorities should be able to spend more time actually shaping and delivering the services their communities need - rather than continually trudging through the burden of central government assessment.

"We are equally pleased about the new flexibilities councils will now enjoy in setting their own local priorities for LAAs. Instead of being dictated to from on high, local councils need to be able to respond to local circumstance and the needs of their communities. By negotiating a set of relevant indicators with local partners, London's authorities will be able to work more flexibly and more effectively to deliver the services Londoners need.

"We look forward to working with government to help them shape this new performance framework and ensure its success for local people."

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