TRANSPARENCY CODE FOR SMALLER AUTHORITIES
The Regulations (SI 494), will make the “Transparency Code” (“The Code”) issued in December 2014 mandatory for local councils and other smaller authorities, with a turnover not exceeding £25,000.
The Government has introduced the Code for two main reasons, firstly under a new audit framework which will be effective from 1 April 2017, smaller councils will be exempt from external audit and in its place, these authorities will be subject to the Transparency Code to enable local electors and ratepayers to access relevant information about their accounts and governance. The second reason given by the Government for the introduction of the new processes is to meet its desire to place more power into citizens’ hands to increase democratic accountability.