9 REPORTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Britain is a chequerboard of elected and unelected agencies providing local government services.

Most of England and Wales has district or borough councils with an upper tier of county councils. Conurbations are divided into metropolitan areas whose councils provide the full range of council services. Some freestanding cities such as York also have all-purpose councils. Scotland simply has councils. It has no upper tier.

Schools runs their own budgets and some have opted out of council control. Colleges of further education are also independent of councils.

Journalists have a right of admission to council meetings and to meetings of council committees.

Citizens who believe they have suffered from maladministration ...

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