The government published a discussion paper aimed at promoting good conduct by, and confidence in, local authority councillors and employees in England.
Source: Standards of Conduct in English Local Government: The Future, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Discussion paper | ODPM press release | Standards Board press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the impact of local government modernization on accountability. Local authority accountability had improved since the launch of modernization, and local councils were increasingly taking into account the views of stakeholders, service users, and residents.
Source: Rachel Ashworth and Chris Skelcher, Meta-Evaluation of the Local Government Modernisation Agenda: Progress report on accountability in local government, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Date: 2005-Dec
The government accepted a recommendation that more systematic information should be published by departments on their overall policy and approach to public appointments.
Source: The Government s Response to the Tenth Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Cm 6723, Cabinet Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | Cabinet Office press release | CSPL press release
Date: 2005-Dec
A report said that the Freedom of Information Act was having a positive impact on campaigning by voluntary and community organizations.
Source: Matthew Gitsham, Chris Gribben and Belinda Pratten, Called to Account: The impact of the Freedom of Information Act, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (0800 279 8798)
Links: Report | NCVO press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report assessed the ability of external scrutiny arrangements to provide effective accountability and influence powerful executives in the wider arena of policy development.
Source: Mark Sandford, External Scrutiny: The voice in the crowded room, Centre for Public Scrutiny (020 7296 6595)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Aug
The government began consultation on proposals to reform public sector Ombudsman services in England, designed to enable the Ombudsmen to work together more effectively.
Source: Reform of Public Sector Ombudsmen Services in England, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2005-Aug
The 2004-05 annual report was published for the parliamentary and health service ombudsman.
Source: Annual Report 2004-05: A year of progress, HC 348 (Session 2005-06), Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Ombudsman press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The government published a revised code of conduct for special ministerial advisers. The Committee on Standards in Public Life expressed disappointment that the government had failed to take into account its concerns - in particular over the possibility that the code would enable advisers to overrule civil servants.
Source: Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527) | Press release 21 July 2005, Committee on Standards in Public Life (0800 692 1516)
Links: Code (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jul
A report was published on the government?s review of statutory prohibitions on disclosure. It set out all the enactments which had been reviewed, and indicated whether the government intended to repeal or amend them using powers in the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Source: Review of Statutory Prohibitions on Disclosure, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report part 1 (pdf) | Report part 2 (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
The Parliamentary Ombudsman today published a special report on the monitoring of the code of practice on access to government information.
Source: Access to Official Information: Monitoring of the non-statutory codes of practice 1994-2005, 1st Report (Session 2005-06), HC 59, Parliamentary Ombudsman (020 7217 4051)
Links: Report | Ombudsman press release
Date: 2005-May
A paper surveyed the progression of the public and political debate about quangos, with a particular focus on the period since the 1997 general election. It outlined concerns surrounding their use as a method of public administration, and set out the government response.
Source: Julie Macleavy and Oonagh Gay, The Quango Debate, Research Paper 05/30, House of Commons Library (web publication only)
Links: HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs criticized the way that some government departments handled ministerial questions.
Source: Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions, Fifth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 449, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Mar
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on progress in implementing the Freedom of Information Act. It said that action taken to get 100,000 public bodies ready for the Act would 'transform the culture of information'.
Source: Government's Response to the Department for Constitutional Affairs Select Committee Report Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Progress towards implementation, Cm 6470, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
Date: 2005-Feb
An online, searchable database of public bodies was launched. The database listed the public bodies sponsored by central government, with contact details, and information about their remit and board membership. It also included information about government taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews.
Source: Press release 10 February 2005, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2005-Feb
A public opinion survey found that more needed to be done to increase confidence in the system of ministerial appointments to public bodies.
Source: MORI, Perceptions of the Ministerial Public Appointments Process: Combined qualitative and quantitative report, Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (020 7276 2625)
Links: Report (pdf) | OCPA press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
A new standard for the governance of public services was published. It provided for the first time a single, common standard that clarified the roles and responsibilities of those who sat on governing bodies.
Source: Independent Commission on Good Governance in Public Services, The Good Governance Standard for Public Services, Office for Public Management (020 7239 7800) and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
Links: Standard (pdf) | CIPFA press release
Date: 2005-Jan
A report recommended that the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (which regulates ministerial public appointments) be given stronger powers, and that the Standards Board for England (which investigates complaints against local government councillors) should be 'fundamentally transformed'. It said that the changes were needed to counter perceived cronyism in the public appointments system, and to improve the investigation of complaints against local government councillors.
Source: Getting the Balance Right: Implementing standards in public life, Tenth Report Cm 6407, Committee on Standards in Public Life (0800 692 1516)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | CSPL press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jan
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 came into full operation on 1 January 2005. The Act gave individuals for the first time a statutory right (subject to exemptions) to see information held by government departments and public bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. (Scotland was covered by separate legislation.)
Source: Freedom of Information Act 2000, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | DCA press release | Text of Ministerial speech | Information Commissioner press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jan