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Ministers plan services shake-up | Ministers plan services shake-up |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The government is to set out plans to reduce Whitehall targets and extend new rights to the users of public services. | The government is to set out plans to reduce Whitehall targets and extend new rights to the users of public services. |
The proposals will be unveiled by Gordon Brown on Monday in a document titled Building Britain's Future. | The proposals will be unveiled by Gordon Brown on Monday in a document titled Building Britain's Future. |
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne said there was the need for a "power shift" away from civil servants and towards the public. | |
The prime minister will also make a statement on his draft legislative programme for the year ahead. | The prime minister will also make a statement on his draft legislative programme for the year ahead. |
The Guardian reports that the shake-up in public services will include entitlements to personal tuition in schools, minimum GP waiting times and access to police working in their neighbourhoods. | The Guardian reports that the shake-up in public services will include entitlements to personal tuition in schools, minimum GP waiting times and access to police working in their neighbourhoods. |
Mr Byrne told the BBC the top-down, targets-led approach was good for transforming services from poor to good, but now a new strategy is required. | |
Now that we have excellent public services in all parts of the country, how do we keep up the pressure? Liam ByrneChief Secretary to the Treasury | |
He said that when large sums of money were being invested to turn around services, it was "quite right not to sign a big cheque and say here you go, have a good time". | |
"But for the decade to come, now that we have excellent public services in all parts of the country, how do we keep up the pressure?" | |
Mr Byrne said there needed to be "a change of gear and a power shift" to take advantage of local initiative and enshrine people's rights to core services. | |
BBC News political correspondent Iain Watson says Mr Brown is keen to portray himself as the champion of public services. | BBC News political correspondent Iain Watson says Mr Brown is keen to portray himself as the champion of public services. |
Fewer targets | |
But, as one government source put it, with spending facing a squeeze in the years ahead voters will need more evidence of where Labour's approach differs from the Conservatives. | But, as one government source put it, with spending facing a squeeze in the years ahead voters will need more evidence of where Labour's approach differs from the Conservatives. |
So there will be a new range of what the government is calling "entitlements" and public services will have to meet fewer targets imposed from above. | So there will be a new range of what the government is calling "entitlements" and public services will have to meet fewer targets imposed from above. |
Instead, there will be more community involvement in how services are delivered. | Instead, there will be more community involvement in how services are delivered. |
Opposition parties already support fewer centralised targets and the government itself set out plans to give local people more influence a year ago in a document called Communities in Control. | Opposition parties already support fewer centralised targets and the government itself set out plans to give local people more influence a year ago in a document called Communities in Control. |
The Building Britain's Future document is expected to tackle three main areas - the economy, public service reform and cleaning up politics. | The Building Britain's Future document is expected to tackle three main areas - the economy, public service reform and cleaning up politics. |
An education White Paper is set to signal the end of centralised national strategies for literacy and numeracy in primary schools. | An education White Paper is set to signal the end of centralised national strategies for literacy and numeracy in primary schools. |
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