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Local government news

Scottish councils 'should be given control of their finances'Scotland's 32 unitary authorities should be merged into just 19, given full control over their own finances and encouraged to install directly elected mayors, according to Reform Scotland. 22 May 2012
Childcare should be freed from councils, says MPNurseries and children's centres should be able to take on 'academy status' and be freed from local authority control, according to a Conservative MP. 21 May 2012
Councils slam Whitehall's retention of ratesWhitehall's decision to claw back half of the localised business rates collected by English councils 'falls well short' of giving them freedom and lacks ambition, according to town halls. 21 May 2012
Children's lives to be focus of Scots' inspectionsThe Scottish Care Inspectorate is to spearhead a strategic assessment of care services for children over the coming year, under plans published today in the latest local government inspection timetable. 16 May 2012
Whitehall must join national fraud system, say auditorsThe Audit Commission is calling for government departments to be required to join its National Fraud Initiative, which has saved £1bn elsewhere in the public sector since it began in 1996. 16 May 2012
LGA offers support to crime commissionersPlans for a national board of police and crime commissioners have been set out by the Local Government Association today. 15 May 2012
Councils invited to bid for property shake-up cashThe Local Government Association has launched a fund to help councils make better use of their property. 15 May 2012
MPs warn of weak scrutiny of academiesPlans to monitor the spending of public money in academy schools are weak and might not be able to ensure accountability, the Public Accounts Committee has warned. 11 May 2012
Adoption 'scorecards' are not credible, say councilsThe government's assessments of individual adoption services, published today, lack credibility and could deter prospective adopters, councils have said. 11 May 2012
Know your costs, Scots councils toldScotland's local authorities have been cutting jobs and services without fully understanding the costs of their actions, according to a report from the Accounts Commission today. 10 May 2012
Pensions, care and audit Bills in Queen's SpeechPublic sector pension changes will continue, despite trade union opposition, after legislation was promised in today's Queen's Speech. 09 May 2012
Crumbling schools still waiting for renovation cash, says LGACouncils have hit out at the government over 'intolerable' delays in providing the most dilapidated schools with renovation funds. 09 May 2012
Scots unions challenge pay freezeLocal government unions in Scotland have challenged the two-year public sector pay freeze by tabling a pay claim for this year. 08 May 2012
Give cities a stronger role in housing, says IPPREnglish city councils should be given more powers over housing to enable them to play a greater role in the supply of new and decent homes, the Institute for Public Policy Research said today. 08 May 2012
LibDems lose out to Scottish Labour and SNPLabour and the Scottish National Party both made significant gains in Scotland's local elections at the expense of the UK coalition parties, especially the Liberal Democrats. 04 May 2012