Your views on PB in general

Participatory budgeting could be a real mechanism for giving local people more power over what happens in their community and how the public money is spent.  However, this is largely dependent on the way it is operated by public bodies for their area, for example the amount of budget and specific area involved could be so restricted it is just tokenism.  The present mechanisms such as LAA, LSP  and commissioning should be used in the process with any needed additional groups/processes added to them.  There are barriers to the voluntary and community sector and all sectors of the community being involved,which are already present in the current system.  For example, how much representation is there on LSPs of the sector, and the language and procedures can be hard to understand for people outside of the statutory sector.  Also will there be adequate funds to support volunteers from the community and the implication of the process? 

 Many challenges exist, but the VCS and in particular the infrastructure organisations within it, can play a key role in helping to overcome them by engaging people and groups in the community and linking to statutory bodies.

 In addition, I would say that if the government feels this is something worth doing and will help participatory democracy then why is it not being applied to central government budgets, which many people would like to have more say about? 

I alas remain highly cynical of this government's obsession with devolving power down to the grass roots. It simply will not work. Not in any true democratic manner. At best PB will be wide open to abuse.

And as is already evident, it is spawning reams and reams of words and visions. Well, I suppose it helps keep up employment levels, but it does little to promote the art of Plain English...