BOLTON and Wigan councils are to be put under the spotlight in an attempt to judge their success at providing services.

A scheme for monitoring local authorities was launched today with the announcement of the first 10 councils to be scrutinised, including the two in Greater Manchester.

The Audit Commission's Comprehensive Performance Assessment will bring together audit and service inspections to deliver a single annual report card.

The authority will be placed in one of four streams: Top performing, striving, coasting or failing. In response to the findings, councils could receive rewards or be subjected to intervention, according to proposals in the government's White Paper.

Ofsted, the Social Services Inspectorate and the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate will take the lead in assessing education, social services and benefits for each council.

The commission, which is working closely with the Local Government Association and Improvement and Development Agency, will collate the results.

Teams are expected to visit the first batch of councils, including Wigan and Bolton, in mid-April.

Audit Commission controller Sir Andrew Foster said: ''This marks an entirely new way of judging councils. With report cards, local people will be able to see easily how their authority performs.''

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