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|   | Subject: Peer Review: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 12, 2012 by Storm | | Post: 1
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Entry: Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision). - A87758031
Author: Storm - U14338867
This is from my specialist subject and is my first entry.
|  | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 12, 2012 by  Bluebottle
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| | Post: 2
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 Well done for your first article - short and sweet. It's the sort of article that we should have a lot more of in the Guide, but for some reason we don't.
I'm glad that this is in Peer Review.
<BB<
Morning Storm
Welcome to Peer Review, very glad to see you here. 
This was well received in the Edited Guide Workshop, and I too think a short explanatory piece like this is a useful addition to the Guide.
I'd like this paragraph made a bit easier for me to understand though, please, if you would.
""The minimum revenue provision requires councils to charge approximately 4% of outstanding debt to the council tax payer (well against income) in each year, thus those who benefit from the leisure centre also suffer the cost. This charge is made regardless of the council’s treasury management policy which will be based around managing the cost of borrowing. This means that the money isn’t necessarily used to repay debt in the year but is set aside to repay debt when appropriate.""
 (well against income) - do you mean [against the income received] ?
"suffer the cost" I think this sounds a little like accountancy or legalese speak - perhaps [bear the cost] might fit better in the Entry as you're aiming at the layman?
" treasury management policy" Would you like to unpack, or further explain in simple terms what this is? ie who comes up with it, does it vary from year to year or from who or which political party is in control of the local council at the time?
"but is set aside " here again, I think a little example would help. Does the money get protected from being spent on other council necessities or does it get earmarked and put into some form of reserve fund?
With a little more explanation aimed at the average reader, this will be very useful to those searching for explanations and understanding of local government terms.
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 13, 2012 by Storm
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 4
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Is this any better:
The minimum revenue provision requires councils to charge approximately 4% of outstanding debt to the council tax payer in each year, thus those who benefit from the leisure centre also bear the cost.
Local authorities do not have to repay 4% of borrowing each year; they will try to manage their borrowing to keep costs down. Local authorities may still borrow money over 25 years on an interest only basis. The minimum revenue provision is put aside in a protected reserve to repay debt when it falls due.
yes  thanks Storm 
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 13, 2012 by McKay The Disorganised
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| | Post: 6
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Very good - local government is an area we need more entries on - though I suppose it's very UK centric.
For me the last line says it all.
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 14, 2012 by Storm
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| | Post: 7
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It is interesting how UK centric UK public sector accounting is. Most other countries use International Public Sector Accounting Standards. However the UK uses International Financial Reporting Standards (which are written for the private sector) and then a complicated system of manuals and statements of recommended practice to interpret them for the public sector. It means public sector accounting in the UK is full of holes and polyfiller where we've tried to make the system do what we want and we end up with lots of little quirks like this one.
I think that comment would be an interesting contextual framework to add into this piece, if you could word it somehow?
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 14, 2012 by Storm
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| | Post: 9
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I think it could make it less understandable as it will make it more about accounting and less about something real I have to pay for with my hard earned cash.
The problem I had with this piece was knowing when to stop, given the interconnectedness of all things I felt it could easily run to 500 pages taking in the marketisation agenda of new public management, accounting in the NHS, accounting in other countries and Gordon Browns strange obsession with accounting standards.
Ah! good point. Short and sweet and keeping firmly to one subject sounds better than that,
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 17, 2012 by Z
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| | Post: 11
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Nice entry I was going to suggest moving the paragraph about the situation prior to the introduction ofminimum revenue protection to the top. However the entry is so short I do not think that this would make a difference.
I would also suggest considering changing the title to 'Making Local Government Accountable with Minimum Revenue Provision'
Though it's great.
Z
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 17, 2012 by Storm
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 12
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I will try and write something longer next time! Not everyone is as interested as me in public sector accounting. I usually try to say things really quickly before people wander off. I have an idea for an entry on NHS Foundation Trust borrowing which is controlled in a different way.
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 19, 2012 by Storm
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| | Post: 13
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I've tried to edit it to give more of the why upfront but I'm not sure now if it works. I've saved the other version so could revert. I've changed the title too.
| | Subject: A87758031 - Making Local Government Accountable (Minimum Revenue Provision).
Posted May 19, 2012 by Z
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| | Post: 14
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I love this version.. What do other's think?
| | Subject: Congratulations - Your Entry has been Recommended for the Edited Guide!
Posted Jun 8, 2012 by h2g2 auto-messages
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| | Post: 15
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Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.
If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.
Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!
Well done Storm and thanks for contributing to the Guide
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