COUNCILS are being urged to quiz local government minister Brandon Lewis on funding for local authorities that reform the way they deliver services.

The special live phone-in with Mr Lewis on the government's "Transformation Challenge" takes place between 9.00am and 9.30am on Tuesday, 29 April.

The Transformation Challenge Award 2014-16, which gives extra funding to councils that change the way they deliver services, was launched by Mr Lewis earlier in April.

The teleconference is being billed as an opportunity for local government to offer feedback directly to the minister in a live Q&A session on the whole of the Transformation Challenge Award.

But Mr Lewis said he would like to focus on encouraging smaller districts, with single chief executives and management teams, to share senior posts with other local authorities.

The free teleconference will operate much like a radio phone-in show. Callers can participate using just a landline telephone – there is no need for any other technology.

Participants must first register their landline telephone number by clicking here before 4pm on Monday 28 April.

Once registered, participants will receive a call on the specified number at 9am.

The teleconference conversation can be followed live on Twitter where Mr Lewis's officials will be live tweeting throughout from @ServiceReform using the #TransformationChallenge hashtag.