A senior councillor has complained that he is unable to get a list of decisions made in private by Bradford Council officers.

And at yesterday's executive committee meeting it was admitted there may be a flaw in the system for Britain's modernised councils. There were also complaints of serious difficulties in getting information on the Council's website in spite of the fact that the authority claimed to be open and above board.

Leader of the Labour Group Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "I have asked for a list of officer decisions which is impossible to find. At the end of the day, the councillors are the people who are accountable. If we can't access these decisions, how can the press or the public? The answer is that they can't."

Deputy Labour group leader Councillor Barry Thorne said: "There is a weakness in the system. There isn't a way of getting into the website and getting hold of information easily, and everyone isn't on the Internet."

The members spoke out as the committee considered Government regulation which required them to publish a forward plan of key decisions to be taken by the executive which must be available to the public. Legal officer Gerry Danby said there was little information from the Government about the definition of 'key' decisions.

Corporate portfolio holder Richard Wightman said: "We pay directors of the authority a great deal of money to exercise their judgement every day of the week. They know precisely what they are meant to do. They make decisions based on delegated powers or refer it to the committee."

The committee turned down an amendment put forward by Labour members to extend the arrangement for forward plans to include those where decisions were expected to be taken by officers. Arrangements will now be made for the publication of four monthly forward plans to give the public warning about issues they may wish to be involved in,

Officers said the production of the plans potentially opened the executive to better scrutiny by the public, press and councillors.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said officers often had to make emergency decisions. "If they were predicted it wouldn't be an emergency situation," she said.

l The Council will go out to tender for new management of Bradford Festival after this year's event. The move will come at the end of a four year contract with the Bradford Festival Company.