To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps her Department has taken to monitor the performance of local authorities. (275412)

The final results from the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) were published by the Audit Commission in March 2009. These showed the highest ever number of top-performing councils, with more than ever before assessed as ‘improving strongly’.

On 1 April we introduced the new system for assessment and inspection of local outcomes, Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), as part of the new local performance framework. CAA builds and improves on CPA, covering outcomes delivered by local authorities acting alone or in partnership, and is carried out jointly by six local public service inspectorates. The first CAA reports will be published in November 2009. For each local area the reports will comprise an area assessment—which looks at how well local public services are delivering local priorities and how likely they are to improve in the future—and organisational assessments of individual local public bodies, including local authorities.

Ahead of CAA, following sign-off of the new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) in June 2008, a review of local areas’ initial efforts to prepare for LAA delivery was carried out by the Government Offices earlier this year. The review indicated that local authorities and their partners were progressing well with their LAAs, with the vast majority of areas strengthening partnership and delivery arrangements to enhance their ability to meet improvement targets.

Where performance issues are not being addressed sufficiently quickly or effectively in local areas, Government Offices will work with local partners and central Government to provide challenge, broker appropriate action, and monitor improvement. This may range from additional support from the local government sector, to consultancy support, inspection, or ultimately formal intervention action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation on Changing Council Governance Arrangements. (275544)

As we indicated in our consultation document on Changing Council Governance Arrangements, we will produce a summary of responses within three months of the close of the consultation— 13 March 2009. This will be published on the Department’s website.