Question
4. What steps she is taking to ensure local authorities uphold the Nolan principles.
Answer
Standards in local government are important. The Localism Act 2011 requires every local authority in England to adopt a code of conduct that conforms to the Nolan principles. The Government are committed to a whole system reform of the local government standards framework to make it stronger and more efficient, including with stronger sanctions, and we will legislate when parliamentary time allows.25% vibes
Verdict: GREEN (80/100)
The reply directly answers the question. It names the existing requirement under the Localism Act 2011 that every authority adopt a code of conduct conforming to the Nolan principles, and it sets out a specific planned action: a whole-system reform of the standards framework with stronger sanctions. The only qualification is that timing depends on when parliamentary time allows, so the asker would still lack a firm date, though they would have the mechanism and the commitment they asked about.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the department is doing to ensure local authorities uphold the Nolan principles of public life. | Addressed | Direct | The reply names the existing mechanism, the Localism Act 2011 requirement that every authority adopt a code conforming to the Nolan principles, and a concrete planned action, a whole-system reform of the standards framework with stronger sanctions, which together describe what the department is doing. The timing caveat ('when parliamentary time allows') does not make the answer hedged, because a specific mechanism and commitment are named. |