DEVIZES Mayor Ray Parsons and town council manager Simon Fisher were at the House of Commons on Monday to be congratulated for finding out how to give best value for money as a parish council.

Devizes is one of the few parish councils in England and Wales required to go through the best value procedure set up by the Government to make sure local authorities are performing to their best abilities.

A report, entitled Performing Small Miracles, produced by Fairlight Consultancy Services for the National Association of Local Councils and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, was launched on Monday on the terrace of the House of Commons.

Nick Rainsford MP, Minister for Housing and Planning, praised six councils for their enthusiastic embracing of the best value process.

Coun Parsons said: "Devizes is one of an elite six that were chosen for particular attention by the writers of the report because of its grasp of what they call the performance indicators. We like to think it is because we are an open and accessible council which likes to talk to local people."

The report said the six councils, of which Devizes was the smallest, were selected for visits by the consultants because they used local performance indicators particularly well.

Although Devizes has a population of 12,500, it comes under the requirements of best value because it has a budget in excess of £500,000.

Simon Fisher said: "As a town council we operate public buildings like the town hall and Corn Exchange and we own buildings which earn income that covers a large percentage of our precept.

The report says: "Councils developed a set of corporate objectives and these were put out to local organisations for consultation.

"More than 300 local households, chosen at random, were also consulted."

The council's activities, including an open day when councillors and officers answered questions at a stall in the Brittox and the production of a quarterly newsletter The Devizes Messenger, will be recommended as examples of good practice.

Coun Parsons said: "It is nice to know that the hard work of council staff and of the councillors themselves has been recognised in such a high-profile way."