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Tory plan to reveal expenditure Tories want spending put online
(about 7 hours later)
The Conservatives will unveil plans to allow taxpayers to go online and find out how their money is being spent. The Conservatives want to allow taxpayers to go online and find out how their money is being spent.
Shadow chancellor George Osborne is publishing legislation requiring the Treasury to set up a website revealing every expenditure over £25,000. Shadow chancellor George Osborne is publishing legislation requiring the Treasury to set up a website revealing all expenditure over £25,000.
He will also challenge the government to back the bill, to be presented to the House of Lords by Christmas. He will challenge the government to back the bill, to be presented to the House of Lords by Christmas.
"For too long, government spending has been shrouded in Whitehall secrecy," Mr Osborne will say. "For too long, government spending has been shrouded in Whitehall secrecy," Mr Osborne said.
The only exemptions will be spending related to national security or that which concerns personal matters covered by the Data Protection Act. The only exemptions would be spending related to national security or that which concerns personal matters covered by the Data Protection Act.
The spending which would be revealed includes the overhauling of the NHS computer network and travel arrangements for ministers. Examples of spending which would be revealed includes the overhauling of the NHS computer network and travel arrangements for ministers.
Mr Osborne will say: "It's been difficult for the public to find out exactly where their tax money is being spent. Internet age
"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. Ahead of a speech on Tuesday evening about politics and the media in the internet age, Mr Osborne told BBC Two's Daily Politics that it was "impossible" for people to find out how much the government spend on local GP practices or NHS chief executives, for example.
"This proposal will alter the relationship between the public and the government." "The information that they (the government) do publish comes out in weighty volumes that never reach ordinary households.
"In an internet age where people are spending more and more time online, they are used to searching through great swathes of information with search engines like Google, why not give people the ability to find out how their taxpayers money is spent."
He said the US was setting up a similar search facility.
Mr Osborne said giving people access to spending information could prompt government to become more accountable.
"If the government has to show people in a transparent way what it is spending, then it's a discipline on spending ministers."
If the Government Spending Transparency Bill clears the House of Lords it would then go before the House of Commons for approval. It would then only survive if there was a sizable rebellion by Labour MPs.If the Government Spending Transparency Bill clears the House of Lords it would then go before the House of Commons for approval. It would then only survive if there was a sizable rebellion by Labour MPs.