Poor communication between central and local government has "exasperated" councils, according to the National Audit Office, a government watchdog.

The government is devolving more power to local councils, while the already contentious Localism Act has paved the way for major changes, such as transferring public health responsibilities from the NHS to local councils in April 2013. But local authorities are "exasperated" by the unsystematic standards and time wasting exercises that make the change difficult, says the audit office's annual report, published yesterday on 13th June.