Date and venue announced for hearing at West Dunbartonshire Council

The Accounts Commission for Scotland’s ‘Best value’ Hearing at West Dunbartonshire Council will take place at Clydebank Town Hall on Wednesday 29 November 2006. It will begin at 10am and is likely to be a full day event.

A Hearing is a formal process organised and led by the Accounts Commission for Scotland. Its primary purpose is to assist the Commission to make findings by listening to appropriate evidence, including hearing from representatives of West Dunbartonshire Council.

The Commission decided to hold a Hearing when it met on 11 October and considered the Controller of Audit’s West Dunbartonshire Council Best Value Audit and Community Planning report. This report assesses how well the Council is performing, the way it is organised and managed to achieve improvements over time, identifies areas of weakness and includes an improvement plan. The Commission decided a Hearing was the best course of action in light of all the circumstances of this case, including representations received. This is the first time the Commission has held a Hearing as part of a Best Value and Community Planning audit.

At the Hearing the Commission will be represented by a panel of Commission members comprising Alastair MacNish (Chair of the Accounts Commission), Jean Couper, John Baillie, Keith Geddes and Iain Robertson.

Members of the public who want to make representations to the Hearing should write to the Secretary to the Accounts Commission. The Commission will decide at its discretion who will be heard at the Hearing.

The Hearing is a public event and members of the public, including journalists, are welcome to attend.

Following the Hearing the Commission can publish its findings which may include recommendations to the Council and/or Scottish Ministers.