Six months after a promise, the Register of Councillors’ Business and Financial Interests and expense claim figures have still not been published on the Council’s web site.

Liberal Democrat Councillors are angry that although the Labour Leader of the Council promised last Summer that it would be done, the Council’s web site still does not give access to the vital register which shows the business & financial interests of Councillors nor the details of expenses claims.

“It is surely not acceptable in the 21st Century that the only way people can see the Register of Councillors Business & Financial interests is by making an appointment to visit the Council’s legal department,” says Liberal Democrat Luton South Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Qurban Hussain.

“Claims for expenses should also be published on the web site. Most members of the Council actually claim little or nothing but some have claimed substantial amounts and should be prepared to justify them.”

“This issue should not be a matter of political party dispute particularly at this time when some Members of Parliament, including the Member for Luton South, have damaged public confidence in politics and politicians generally by their excessive expense claims. But of course the fact is that over a number of years both Labour and Tory MPs in the House of Commons have blocked Liberal Democrat attempts to reform the system. We do not want the same thing to happen in Luton Town Hall.”

Liberal Democrat Councillors have tabled a motion for debate at the Full Council meeting on Tuesday evening, 19th January calling for web site publication without any further delay.