White Paper Communities in Control: real people, real power

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White Paper Communities in Control real
people, real power

• Seeks to address issues around lack of power and
  influence at a local level.
• Promoting democracy
• A new duty will be placed on local authorities to
  promote democracy
•  
• Duty to Involve
• Extend the existing duty to involve local
  people in key decisions
•  
• Standing for Office
• The Government will relax the Widdicombe rules,
   encourage a wider range of people to stand for
  election
•  
• More powers for backbench councilors
• Discretionary localized budgets, new ways of
  participating in meetings
• Empowering young people
• Acknowledges a number of the concerns raised in
  last years report from the Councillors
  Commission

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White Paper Communities in Control real
people, real power

• New rights for the public to demand action from
  their council Councils will be subject to a new
  duty to respond to petitions
• Increasing accountability Chairs and Chief
  Executives of local public bodies including
  local authorities - will face regular public
  hearings as part of plans to increase
  accountability
•  
• Powers of overview and scrutiny are to be updated
  and made more visible to the public.
• Greater public involvement in suggesting and
  selecting topics for review
•  
• Getting redress when things go wrong The White
  Paper acknowledges the importance of every local
  authority having a system of accessible,
  interactive contact for citizens to raise
  concerns
•  
• Giving local people a direct say on how budgets
  are spent
• Every local authority to be encouraged to use
  participatory budgeting in some form by 2012

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White Paper Communities in Control real
people, real power

• Details of implementation as annex to White Paper
•  
• A no of consultation papers to be issued e.g.
  on O and S, elected mayors, a revised code of
  conduct for members
•  
• The required legislative changes will be detailed
  in the forthcoming Community Empowerment, Housing
  and Economic Regeneration Bill (CEHER Bill), part
  of the 2008/2009 legislative programme