Prospect has welcomed the support of Labour's Shadow Local Government Minister, following yesterday's statement from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announcing the outsourcing of all the Audit Commission's in-house local public audit work to the private sector in the next financial year.

Birmingham MP Jack Dromey responded to the announcement saying: "Eric Pickles has spent months dithering over the future of the Audit Commission after announcing its abolition last year, causing uncertainty for staff and leaving the public in the dark as to how they will get the information they need to hold their local council to account.

"Abolishing the Audit Commission will save less than a fifth of the amount the government originally claimed. There remains real concern about how scrutiny of the way taxpayers' money is spent will work."