Watchdog brands Borders council 'open and transparent'... again

 by DOUG COLLIE

Audit Scotland, the country's public expenditure watchdog, has concluded yet again that Scottish Borders Council conducts its business in an open and transparent fashion despite evidence that a number of crucial issues involving many millions of pounds of taxpayers' cash have been discussed and decided in secret.

The council's transparency 'badge' is pinned to the SBC Annual Audit report for 2019/20, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the transparency testimony of 2018/19.

Only a few weeks ago it was revealed that councillors and officials at the Borders local authority had conducted all debates linked to a £99 million extension of an IT contract with Canadian based CGI behind closed doors. And even after the deal was signed last September only very limited information concerning the partnership which is set to remain in place until 2040 was made public.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request the council finally released dozens of pages of reports and minutes, each one of them stamped either 'confidential' or 'not for publication'. While the issue was 'live' elected members were not allowed to talk about the deal or express their views in public which hardly smacks of transparency.

Not Just Sheep & Rugby gave extensive coverage to the contents of the secret CGI documents only a few days before Audit Scotland published its latest audit report for SBC.

In 2019/20 the Borders council paid Audit Scotland an audit fee of £280,360 to carry out the annual inspection of its accounts. The total over the four financial years from 2016/17 adds up to £1,095,930.

Here is the full text in the 2019/20 audit report relating to Openness and Transparency:

79. There is an increasing focus on how public money is used and what is achieved. In that regard, openness and transparency supports understanding and scrutiny. There are increasing public expectations for more openness and transparency as citizens want to understand how public money is used and, to support their participation in local service design and delivery.

80. A transparent organisation shows the basis for its decisions and shares information about performance and outcomes, including when targets have and have not been achieved as well as how it is using its resources such as money, people and assets.

81. There is evidence from several sources which demonstrate the council's commitment to transparency. Members of the public can attend meetings of the full council, executive and other committees. Minutes of these committee meetings and supporting papers are readily available on the council’s website. The council and committees sometimes consider business in private where there is a need to consider commercially sensitive information. The need to consider business in private should be subject to regular review.

82. The council’s website allows the public to access a wide range of information including the register of members’ interests, current consultations and surveys, and how to make a complaint.

83. Overall, we concluded that the council conducts its business in an open and transparent manner.

And for comparison here is the equivalent passage from the watchdog's 2018/19 audit report:

93. There is an increasing focus on how public money is used and what is achieved. In that regard, openness and transparency supports understanding and scrutiny. There are increasing public expectations for more openness and transparency as citizens want to understand how public money is used and, to support their participation in local service design and delivery.

94. A transparent organisation shows the basis for its decisions and shares information about performance and outcomes, including when targets have and have not been achieved as well as how it is using its resources such as money, people and assets.

95. There is evidence from several sources which demonstrate the council's commitment to transparency. Members of the public can attend meetings of the full council, executive and other committees. Minutes of these committee meetings and supporting papers are readily available on the council’s website. The council and committees do meet and consider business in private where there is a need to consider commercially sensitive information. The need to consider business in private should be subject to regular review.

96. The council’s website allows the public to access a wide range of information including the register of members’ interests, current consultations and surveys and how to make a complaint.

97. Overall, we concluded that the council conducts its business in an open and transparent manner. 

That conclusion followed concerns and criticisms of the council's £9.6 million deal to acquire the Lowood Estate, near Melrose, from the Hamilton family, another issue dealt with exclusively in private.

Research shows Audit Scotland reported an identical outcome - "overall, we concluded that the council conducts its business in an open and transparent manner" - in 2016/17, and again in 2017/18.