Council Leader Expands School-Build Review

7.45.00pm GMT Tue 11th Dec 2007

Liberal Democrat Council Leader, Isobel McCall, has asked for cabinet members' involvement in the school building programme to be scrutinised in the external review that the Leader commissioned earlier this week.

An independent "person of note" is currently being appointed to look at the role the Council's senior management have played in the heavily criticised school building programme. The appointee will be asked to interview Cabinet members too.

Isobel McCall said: "Cabinet members don't have anything to hide so we are offering ourselves up to be scrutinised by someone outside the Council in a fair and independent process.

"We have listened to the views expressed by the Council's Audit Committee that Cabinet members also need to be questioned."

The independent reviewer is being appointed by a panel consisting of the two opposition group leaders and a member of the Liberal Democrat group who is not on the Cabinet. The report produced will be sent to the Council's Audit Committee.

As the remit of the independent person has been extended, the work is now likely to be concluded in the New Year.