1 Local Government
Consultation
1. Public and community engagement has increasingly
become a feature of local government over the last decade or two.
Consultation is an important and significant element of the process
of engagement. The Consultation Institute estimate that some 5,000
staff within local government spend a significant amount of time
on consultation and many local authorities have established specialist
teams to oversee consultation and research programmes.
2. Our inquiry was announced in November 2004. The
evidence that we have gathered since then is published alongside
this Report. We hope that by making such a substantial body of
information available we will stimulate discussion and development
of consultation especially in relation to best practice. We are
grateful to those who have contributed to our work either through
the submission of evidence or by more informal means.
3. It had not been our intention to report on this
topic at this time. However, one particular issue raised by a
number of our witnesses warrants immediate attention. We were
disturbed to hear of circumstances in which central Government,
far from setting high standards and acting as a disseminator of
good guidance and best practice, would seem to undermine the efforts
of those seeking to instil best practice within their local authorities.
These criticisms were raised in connection with the Public Social
Services Children in Need Survey, sponsored by the Department
of Education and Skills, to serve as an example.
4. We wrote to the Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary
of State for Education and Skills asking for comments on the perceived
weaknesses of this particular exercise. Her response is appended
to this Report.
| 
