Sums add up for top mark

Careful Tameside is one of the best councils in the country when it comes to looking after money, according to a government watchdog.An Audit Commission report into how authorities spend cash and look after their finances took into account financial management, financial reporting, financial standing, internal control and value for money last year.Tameside scored top marks in three out of the five categories and ended up with an overall rating of four out of four.Council leader Roy Oldham said the report's findings were `pleasing'. He said: "In the last four years, Tameside has become one of the highest performing local authorities and one of the top 10 councils in the country and was given the highest possible rating in last year's comprehensive assessment. "One of the main reasons for this is because we focus on what matters to local people."But Oldham was worst placed of all Greater Manchester authorities.It notched an overall rating of two and landed a score of one for internal control and financial reporting.The town's opposition Liberal Democrats' leader, Howard Sykes, said the figures were `just not good enough'. He said: "We're in the bottom four in the country for internal controls. "These figures look at a whole raft of things and there is significant room for improvement."Liz Terry, from Oldham council, said that the report's findings had been `noted' and that action was being taken.Chief executive Andrew Kilburn has now taken the reins of the authority's internal financial controls.Also on two points was Manchester council, which scored one for financial reporting, but actually did better than Oldham overall.Tameside was joined by Wigan council, which also scored four. They were followed by Bolton, Salford, Stockport, Trafford, Rochdale and Bury, which all had a rating of three.At the bottom of the national pile was Liverpool, alongside Southend in Essex and the Isles of Sicily. Manchester Evening News