08 February 2002
He reiterated, however, that the government was unlikely to do a U-turn on the issue, which is being seen as the introduction of league tables for local authorities. Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party's spring conference in Cardiff, he hinted that additional categorisations – to provide a more accurate reflection of services – could be introduced in the future.
Opposition to the government's plan to impose one of four categories – 'high performing', 'striving', 'coasting' and 'poor-performing' – on local authorities has escalated since the publication of the white paper in December.
Councils are unhappy that the complexities of local services would be summarised in one catch-all term and have called for a system that reflects the different performances across departments.
Byers said the white paper was just the start of his plan to give local councils more control over their own services and to provide communities with a transparent view of the services they receive. He added that he was prepared to listen to criticism and that the DTLR 'could take a look' at the potential for additional categories.
Criticism of the white paper was raised at the fringe meeting, which was organised by the Local Government Information Unit.
LGIU director Dennis Reed said about two-thirds of councils were likely to fall into the 'coasting' category, which would misrepresent local achievements, have an adverse affect on morale and lead to 'a downward spiral' of relations with local partners.
But Reed welcomed Byers' comments. 'I think he was influenced by the strength of feeling in the audience. His current suggested terms undermine the classification system.'
PFfeb2002
