Council pay and perks laid bare

Council bosses will have to publish the pay and perks of their top staff under tough new disclosure rules.

The Government yesterday pledged to introduce legislative rules before the end of the year that will require the council to reveal the salaries of their highest earning posts.

The proposals will create a new legal requirement for up to 475 local authority bodies to provide detailed senior pay information covering salary, bonuses, pensions, perks and compensation pay-offs in their next annual statement of accounts.

They are likely to cover 2,500 chief executives, consultants, directors and senior officers across the country.

The plan was unveiled as part of a drive to show government is “acting fairly and responsibly” at a time of constrained public expenditure.

Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton said: “In the current climate the public rightly expect greater value for money from local services.

“We are setting some pretty clear mood music about making sure every taxpayer’s pound is worked as hard as possible. Councils must be able to show they are providing a fair deal on pay in an open and transparent way — the public have the right to see the full picture.

“These new disclosure standards will simply bring councils up to the same high standards that are already required of civil servants, members of government and private sector organisations.”

The Department for Communities and Local Government said the proposals were broadly supported by respondents to a consultation, including organisations representing council chief executives.

Ms Winterton also committed a further £31.7 million to regional efficiency squads to help councils and local service delivery partners find new ways to achieve efficiency savings and improve services.

The funding will be distributed through council-led regional improvement and efficiency partnerships, designed to use procurement and innovation to improve local services or keep council tax down.