Conservative manifesto promises to reform the public sector and reduce the number of quangos are being developed further this week.
Yesterday, the Government launched the Open Public Services White Paper. The aims of these reforms are to give “more freedom, more choice and more local control” to the public and put an end to the current bureaucratic way that some services are delivered.
In practice, this could include the establishment of neighbourhood councils with personal budgets as well as enabling companies, charities and community groups the ability to run services such as local health services, schools, libraries and parks. Citizens will also be given new legally enforceable “right to choose” services.
You can find out more about these proposals by clicking here.
In addition, legislation to substantially reduce the number of quangos will be debated in the House of Commons today. This will enable the Government to either abolish or merge quangos, and transfer responsibilities to other bodies.
Some of the quangos to be abolished include wasteful regional development agencies, which Mr Evennett had urged the Government to scrap. Mr Evennett has previously said that “Although some RDAs have done a good job, others have wasted money in their bureaucratic way. We have heard about extravagances and expenses that have been in no way connected with the job that those people should have been doing, involving entertainment, offices abroad, novelty items or taxis… That profligacy is another Labour legacy that I am pleased to see the new coalition Government will take on.”
You can find out more on the Parliament website by clicking here.
Rt Hon Sir David Evennett MP 