The final round of Comprehensive Performance Assessments for single tier and county councils in England are published today and show that the number of top-rated ‘four-star’ councils has almost trebled since they began in 2002. The Audit Commission report shows, however, that 27 councils have slipped back since last year – five of them dropping by two stars.

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Eight local authorities are to share more than three and a half million pounds for road safety projects using innovative techniques, including in-car systems. The councils will then share information about the schemes with other authorities and agencies around the country.

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A third sector task force has called for the setting up of a Social Investment Bank with start up capital of 250m pounds supplemented by matching funding from the Exchequer. The Taskforce, a joint venture between the third sector and the Department for Work and Pensions, claims that the creation of the bank would have the biggest impact on the sector’s ability to deliver public services.

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