This article reviews ministerial claims about the financial benefits of the nine new unitary councils in England and finds them wanting. The new councils' own estimates for costs and savings use a variety of assumptions, some of which are plainly wrong. The resulting figures are not comparable...

It is highly desirable that public policy should be based on good evidence, but the information available to the Westminster Parliament concerning the costs and benefits of proposed legislation is seriously inadequate. This theme is discussed in relation to laws affecting local government, where...