Healey invites views on definitions of the 198 national indicators

The Comprehensive Spending Review was an important step forward in delivering Government`s commitment to building a new central-local relationship, including the announcement of a single set of 198 national indicators.The indicators will be the basis for negotiating new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) with local authorities and their partners over the next six months.Launching a consultation on the technical definitions of the 198 national indicators, Local Government Minister John Healey invited local authorities and other local partners to help ensure that these measures of Government`s national priorities for the next three years work effectively to support improved delivery on the ground.The reduction from around 1,200 indicators will significantly lift burdens on local authorities and the sharing of indicators between local partners will support more joined-up delivery of outcomes for citizens and communities.Local Government Minister John Healey said:"Reducing the numbers of indicators allows councils and their partners to focus more on local priorities and gives them the space to develop more innovative ways of meeting the needs of their communities."By redesigning the framework, we can ensure that councils devote more time to improving their own performance, and less time to meeting burdensome reporting requirements, cutting the red tape they have faced in the past."We want this set to work as well as possible in practice, so I invite local authorities, their partners and other interested bodies to help us firm up sound technical definitions for these indicators."