Tom Riordan claimed that many people in this part of the UK feel "disempowered" and this could be addressed by establishing a better link with Whitehall, the Guardian reports. 

Speaking at the newspaper's quarterly local government event in Leeds, he pointed to the cities of Cardiff and Glasgow as examples of where a closer relationship with government has made a positive difference to local authorities.

"Local government needs a different relationship with Whitehall in which we are empowered," Mr Riordan commented. 

Also speaking at the event was Eamonn Boylan, chief executive at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, who claimed that combined authorities - such as that used in Greater Manchester - may be the way forward.

This view was supported by Merran McRae, chief executive of Calderdale Council. She stated: "Collaboration, agility and fluidity of how we work is the future of local government."

Odgers Berndtson has an unparalleled track record in public sector executive search with dedicated consultants in all sectors headed by Managing Director Beverley Steel.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) found close to a third (30 per cent) of marketers are rarely involved in devising corporate strategy. 

Furthermore, only 60 per cent of respondents said they communicate with the boardroom on a regular basis, while a quarter just have occasional access to business leaders.

CIM chief executive Anne Godfrey claimed companies may be missing out by not giving marketers more board level influence. 

She said that putting the customer "at the heart" of business decisions is key to overcoming the challenging economic climate and this is where marketing can help. 

However, Nick Turner, a partner in marketing and insight practice at Deloitte - which contributed to the survey - warned that influence has to be earned and is not a "birthright" of marketing.

He said this can be done by orienting the businesses around an "appreciation of the customer".

Dr Martin Read of the coalition’s Efficiency and Reform Board and former CEO of Logica has published the study 'Practical Steps to Improve Management Information in Government', which calls for a new approach to the way information is shared and managed in the public sector. 

"Without accurate, timely and comparable management information on how money is spent, it is impossible to manage expenditure effectively," the report stated. 

The recommendations have been welcomed by MP Chloe Smith who said that improving the way the government and public sector scrutinises data is key to improving efficiency.

She added that by regularly publishing information about spending "departments and individuals can be held to account for the delivery of their objectives".

Dr Read's report was commissioned as part of the Civil Service Reform Plan, which aims to create a more unified approach and introduce common standards across government and public services.

Odgers Berndtson has an unparalleled track record in public sector executive search with dedicated consultants in all sectors headed by Managing Director Beverley Steel.

A survey of HR executives by talent and management consultancy Right Management found that 21 per cent feel there is a lack of potential future leaders in their organisation. 

Furthermore, only 15 per cent claimed their company has a strong leadership pipeline in place.

Mark Hodgson of Right Management advised chief executives and business leaders to focus on preparing the people who will eventually replace them. 

"Leadership development needs to happen before people are put into leadership roles," he commented. 

Mr Hodgson claimed it is vital that companies ensure they have a "clear pipeline" of talented people at all levels of the organisation who are ready to make the step up when necessary. 

Right Management's study suggested that internal leadership development is not only a concern within the UK, as in a survey of global HR executives 34 per cent claimed this was their main worry.

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This was one of the conclusions of an online healthcare professionals' debate, which was hosted by the Guardian. 

Dr Paul Hodgkin, founder and chief executive of healthcare feedback forum Patient Opinion, said the NHS should not be afraid to learn from others. 

However, to do this it must change its attitude which he claimed to be "deeply inward looking and it thinks that only it can implement its own answers".

Meanwhile, Dr Mark Ferreira, group medical director for BMI Healthcare, claimed NHS GPs rarely suggest private care as an option to patients. 

He said that involving people in their own care requires giving them as much as information as possible and this should include discussing paying for treatment.

Ultimately, the debate concluded that while private care is not a long-term solution to reduce the burden on the NHS, it can be used as a means of helping patients when necessary.

Odgers Berndtson has an unparalleled track record in public sector executive search with dedicated consultants in all sectors headed by Managing Director Beverley Steel.

This is according to Iain Ainslie, a cyber liability underwriter at global insurance firm Ace Group.

He said the growing number of online attacks is attracting government attention, but the difficulty of tracking down the culprits is forcing them to turn their focus to the organisations that are falling victim to security breaches.

Mr Ainslie told Insurance Insight that cyber crime costs the global economy $388 billion (£248 billion) each year and this will only increase in years to come. 

He expressed concerns about whether UK businesses are ready for the EU's new Data Protection Directive. 

The regulation is subject to a vote by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in July and if approved, it will require companies to do more to protect any sensitive data they possess. 

However, a study by Ace found that 87 per cent of UK data professionals are unaware of how much it will cost to ensure they comply with the directive.

Finance minister Jane Hutt said that through "careful management" of spending and the implementation of the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan, the nation was able to invest an extra £1.3 billion into public services such as health, housing and education. 

She added that this was achieved in spite of budget cuts from central government.

This has allowed the Local Government Borrowing Initiative to be extended to the 21st Century Schools programme and a dual carriageway has been created on the A465. 

Ms Hutt stated: "The additional investment we have made from capital reserves, totalling almost £462 million, in the short- term has the potential to create around 8,000 jobs during construction phases."

She said that in the long-run this will allow the government to develop a better standard of public services.

Odgers Berndtson has an unparalleled track record in public sector executive search with dedicated consultants in all sectors headed by Managing Director Beverley Steel.

The reformed laws will require reports to be split into two sections, one focusing on the firm's executive pay policy and the other containing details on how this was implemented in the previous year. 

Every element of compensation that a director is entitled to must be included and have a maximum value, which may a percentage of the individual's overall salary. 

Matthew Findley of legal firm Pinsent Masons, which has created the website Out-Law.com, believes this will be welcomed by companies as the focus on providing details of "forward-facing" performance targets has been reduced. 

This information may be commercially sensitive and could cause problems for an organisation if made publicly available.

However, he warned that this desire to maintain confidentially could cause tensions with shareholders who want an in depth understanding of the link between pay and performance.

If approved, the new regulations are expected to be implemented in October 2013.

A new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) entitled 'The (local) state we're in' found that close to 90 per cent of local authority CEO's and 80 per cent of leaders think one or more councils will have encountered serious financial problems by 2016. 

There is also a strong level of concern about the prospect of service failure, with 70 per cent of chief executives and 80 per cent of leaders citing this as a major worry.

The study revealed that the common consensus among executives is that the future of councils is to become smaller and employ fewer members of staff. 

When asked about the greatest challenge facing local authorities in the next few years, the majority of respondents pointed to meeting the increasing demand for services. 

PwC stated: "The fear for many is that ... the sheer level of demand within the system (particularly in people-related services) will outweigh the savings that councils can secure in practice."

Odgers Berndtson has an unparalleled track record in public sector executive search with dedicated consultants in all sectors headed by Managing Director Beverley Steel.