Topic: Access to information
Councillors have a variety of rights which entitle them to access information held by the councils of which they are members. The material in this section explores these rights, and the practical ways in which councillors (especially councillors on scrutiny committees) can use them effectively.
Fitting scrutiny into the local assurance framework
Exploration of how scrutiny is used effectively in quality assurance and who is responsible for this.
Access to information for elected members
A publication on Access to Information for elected members.
Councillors’ use of information
CfGS explainer on our guidance for councillors on their rights to access information.
Lessons from scrutiny improvement reviews
In 2018, CfGS carried out its first evaluations of local authority scrutiny functions using a new method, and under a new title. We brought together our wealth of research, policy and practical experience and developed the “scrutiny improvement review” (SIR) as a consistent and comprehensive way to evaluate scrutiny arrangements, to diagnose problems and to […]
Management of freedom of information by combined authorities
This is a short research report commissioned by the Combined Authorities Governance Network (CAGN) to explore the management of freedom of information (FOI) requests and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). CAGN is a network of combined authority governance professionals, chaired and supported by CfGS with LGA funding.