pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk

Plans to reveal more details of how Kent County Council spends millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money by publishing monthly accounts have been backed by county councillors.

The move is expected to result in the authority setting out much more comprehensive details about how it spends £1billion on goods and services each year.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already said that intends to force councils to publish much more information about how public money is spent by councils.

Cllr John Simmonds (Con), KCC cabinet member for finance, said he wanted KCC to take a lead in meeting the much greater expectations of the public for councils to be open and transparent.

"Reading the runes, greater transparency of information is going to be quite critical. We are a far more open authority than people give us credit for...and the more people understand the pressures we are under, the better."

The county council is to develop proposals on how to publish regular accounts of its spending and wants to implement them within a year.

Cllr Simmonds warned that there were practical problems given the size of KCC and its budget, as well as issues of confidentiality.

"In one week, we have 6,200 transactions of £1,000 or more. What I do not want to do is put lots of information out there that nobody will make any use of. I am in favour of openness but the public will not thank us if we spend millions doing it. Whatever we end up with, we have to make it worthwhile."

The plan was welcomed by opposition Liberal Democrats, who had proposed such a move before the election.

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Details of the disclosure scheme are to be developed by finance chiefs and KCC says the public will be consulted.

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