The Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) released information in the form of letters, internal emails, submissions and other documents relating to various considerations concerning the decision to abolish the Audit Commission.
However, some of the information included in these documents is exempt from the right of access under the Freedom of Information Act, and is thus redacted.
In August Secretary of State Eric Pickles announced the Audit Commission - which ensures local councils in England deliver value for money - was to be scrapped. He said it had "lost its way" and would be disbanded.
By abolishing the Quango that appoints auditors to local authorities, Eric Pickles wants to give those authorities the freedom to choose their own auditor rather than having one chosen for them.
One of the disclosed emails refers to Eric Pickles' intention to redefine the Commission so that its audit practice is no longer the "fifth largest audit firm in the country".
Under the Secretary of State's plans, councils and other bodies covered by the Commission will be free to appoint their own auditors, while the National Audit Office - the Whitehall spending watchdog - will oversee the audit regime.
Last month, the commission set out the issues that, in its view, need to be considered in developing the new framework for local audit. The document indicated that the Government might divide its work and responsibilites after its demise in 2012.
However the document warned against a "free market" approach saying that struggling local authorities - who will see their budgets significantly cut over the next four years - will find it "hard to attract an auditor with the necessary skills and experience, at a reasonable price".
The Commission currently outsources just under a third of its audits to a handful of accounting firms with dedicated public-audit departments. The remaining work it handles in-house itself.
According to the Centre for Housing and Support (CHS) and ERoSH, the announcement following the Comprehensive Spending Review that Supporting People budgets are to be cut by 11% coupled with the confirmation that the TSA and Audit Commission will be abolished has left the housing sector in somewhat of a black hole, .
Peter Marsh, outgoing Chief Executive of the TSA, has written to key senior officials within the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), National Housing Federation (NHF), TPAS and the Local Government Association to urge them to act to fill the gap that a reactive form of regulation, as proposed by Government will leave, saying that "a rump of so-so landlords will just drift along doing the bare minimum."
Mr Marsh joins Sarah Webb, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, in calling on the sector to take responsibility for its own regulation and "to shine a light when required".
CHS and ERoSH, the national consortium for sheltered and retirement housing, are echoing these calls but at the same time highlight that the sector has looked to regulate itself for many years, having input into, and seeking accreditation by, the CHS Code of Practice for Housing-related Support.
Developed in 1993, the Code of Practice has always been concerned with the improvement of support services as well as the involvement and inclusion of service users in these developments and improvements.
The Standards were considered in the development of the Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) and its subsequent review in 2009.
Not only that, its Standards are linked to legislation and emerging good practice, it is a champion for service user involvement, continuous improvement and offers a consistent framework for providers.