Amid Whitehall whispers Tony Blair is to be questioned by Scotland Yard investigators probing the cash for honours affair, the Tories are ramping government transparency up their agenda.
The bid to come clean with the public has been initiated by George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, who wants voters to be able to ‘Google their taxes’ by using a proposed website.
According to the Tories, new legislation should come into force that dictates every item of government spending over £25,000 must be posted on the special site within 30 days.
In the same way that people now use Google’s search engine to retrieve information, the party wants taxpayers to use a similar portal to show where their money is being spent.
Under the proposals, every single item of government expenditure is to be showcased online, with the exception of national security or personal privacy.
"For too long, government spending has been shrouded in Whitehall secrecy,” Mr Osborne said.
“That's why we are introducing new legislation in the House of Lords that will throw open the government's books and enable everyone to find out how their tax money is being spent.”
The initiative, which some commentators expect to be rejected in the Commons, has been imported from the US, where federal agencies are now bound to declare contracts and grants.
“I urge Gordon Brown to support our legislation in a similar spirit,” Mr Osborne said.
“This proposal will alter the relationship between the public and the government. It will make it easier for people to hold the government to account for its spending at the click of a button, and help to encourage better value for money from public spending.”
The Conservatives will introduce a ‘government spending transparency bill’ into Parliament before Christmas, and if approved the measure could become law by Easter.
The hope is to pressurise the government into becoming more forthcoming with information, because the party claims, “everyone will be able to see all the wasteful spending.”
“Too often the government either does not know, or will not publish how much is spent on any given item” the party said.
“For example, the government has failed to publish information on the value of the government contract to develop the NHS computer system.”
The Tories added that the Treasury will be forced to put ‘value for money’ at the fore of its operation, while the project itself will not cost taxpayers, as it will be managed within the department’s existing budget.
Nov 23, 2006
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