Parish and Town Councils: Accountability
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to tackle the mismanagement of parish councils.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh
Local authorities are independent employers, responsible for the day to day running of their organisation and workforces. This includes parish and town councils. Government has no remit to intervene in the day-to-day affairs of local councils, except where specific provision has been made in legislation.
Parish councils are accountable for their actions to their electorate and must act within their statutory powers. Local people can hold councils to account, through the parish councils' own complaints processes.
Central government has no current plans to take any further legislative steps on this matter.
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