KENT COUNTY COUNCIL'S ACCOUNTABILITY

Early day motion 700, tabled 9 May 2000 by Gwyn Prosser (Labour). Signed by 25 members.

That this House condemns Tory-controlled Kent County Council's failure to allow its new cabinet system of government to be properly held to account by the scrutiny committee which is dominated by Conservative members and has been accused of agenda fixing by Kent's Labour and Liberal Democrat group leaders; believes that the council is abusing its power by failing to provide open government as enshrined in the Access to Information Act 1985; urges the Government to provide adequate measures in the current Local Government Bill to require all local authorities to practise open government in a transparent and inclusive manner; and congratulates newspapers such as the East Kent Mercury, the Dover Mercury and all the titles published by the Kent Messenger Group on their continuing campaign for more open and transparent government, which they have entitled 'Your Right to Know'.

Signatures by party: Labour 24, Liberal Democrat 1.