19 November 1999
This week the commission published a booklet, Listen Up! Effective community consultation, in an effort to persuade authorities to make public consultation meaningful.
'Consulting the public really can make a difference,' said Andrew Foster, controller of the Audit Commission. 'Some innovative authorities can already show how they are using consultation to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of services, but others need to catch up with best practice.'
Consultation, the commission said, should be linked to decisions, involve all sections of the community, and the results fed back to local people.
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