Chapter 24: Local government

The Public Service Agreement for Local Government seeks to ensure that central government, local councils and other organisations work together as effectively as possible to secure tangible improvements in the services that matter most to local communities.

The PSA draws together targets from the PSAs of government departments where councils and their partners have a contribution to make in delivering the outcomes. It reflects the existence for the first time of a joint statement of shared public service delivery priorities agreed between government and the LGA. The agreement therefore has fewer targets and is more focused, reflecting a shared understanding of the things that matter most to local communities.

The shared priorities that inform this PSA were jointly developed by the LGA and the Government. The LGA has also been consulted on the areas covered by the targets in this PSA. However, the target levels themselves are those agreed by Ministers as part of the Spending Review process.

Performance targets

1. Raise standards in English and maths so that:

by 2004 85% of 11 year olds achieve level 4 or above and 35% achieve level 5 or above with this level of performance sustained to 2006; and
by 2006, the number of schools in which fewer than 65% of pupils achieve level 4 or above is significantly reduced.

2. Raise standards in English, maths, ICT and science in secondary education so that:

by 2004 75% of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or above in English, maths and ICT (70% in science) nationally, and by 2007 85% (80% in science);
by 2007, the number of schools where fewer than 60% of 14 year olds achieve level 5 or above is significantly reduced; and
by 2007, 90% of pupils reach level 4 in English and maths by age 12.

3. By 2004 reduce school truancies by 10% compared to 2002, sustain the new lower level, and improve overall attendance levels thereafter.

4. Raise standards in schools or colleges so that:

between 2002 and 2006 the proportion of those aged 16 who get qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C rises by 2 percentage points each year on average, and in all schools at least 20% of pupils achieve this standard by 2004, rising to 25% by 2006; and
the proportion of 19 year olds who achieve this standard rises by 3 percentage points between 2002 and 2004, with a further increase of 3 percentage points by 2006.

5. Improve the quality of life and independence of older people so that they can live at home wherever possible, by increasing by March 2006 the number of those supported intensively to live at home to 30% of the total being supported by social services at home or in residential care.

6. Improve life chances for children, including by:

improving the level of education, training and employment outcomes for care leavers aged 19, so that levels for this group are at least 75% of those achieved by all young people in the same area, and at least 15% of children in care attain five good GCSEs by 2004. (The Government will review this target in the light of a Social Exclusion Unit study on improving the educational attainment of children in care.);
narrowing the gap between the proportions of children in care and their peers who are cautioned or convicted; and
reducing the under-18 conception rate by 50% by 2010.

7. Increase the participation of problem drug users in drug treatment programmes by 55% by 2004 and by 100% by 2008, and increase year on year the proportion of users successfully sustaining or completing treatment programmes.

8. By 2010 reduce inequalities in health outcomes by 10% as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

9. Secure improvements to the accessibility, punctuality and reliability of local public transport (bus and light rail), with an increase in use of more than 12% by 2010 compared with 2000 levels.

10. Improve delivery and value for money of local services by:

introducing comprehensive performance assessments and action plans, and securing a progressive improvement in authorities' scores;
overall annual improvements in cost effectiveness of 2% or more; and
assisting local government to achieve 100% capability in electronic delivery of priority services by 2005, in ways that customers will use.

11. All local planning authorities to complete local development frameworks by 2006 and to perform at or above best value targets for development control by 2006, with interim milestones to be agreed in the Service Delivery Agreement. The Department to deal with called in cases and recovered appeals in accordance with statutory targets.

12. By 2010, bring all social housing into decent condition with most of this improvement taking place in deprived areas, and increase the proportion of private housing in decent condition occupied by vulnerable groups.

13. Reduce crime and the fear of crime; improve performance overall, including by reducing the gap between the highest crime Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership areas and the best comparable areas; and reduce:

vehicle crime by 30% from 1998-99 to 2004;
domestic burglary by 25% from 1998-99 to 2005;
robbery in the ten Street Crime Initiatve areas by 14% from 1999-2000 to 2005;
maintain that level.

14. Over the three years to Spring 2006, increase the employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups, taking account of the economic cycle lone parents, ethnic minorities, people aged 50 and over, those with the lowest qualifications, and the 30 local authority districts with the poorest initial labour market position, and significantly reduce the difference between their employment rates and the overall rate.

15. In the three years to 2006, increase the employment rate of people with disabilities taking account of the economic cycle, and significantly reduce the difference between their employment rate and the overall rate. Work to improve the rights of disabled people and to remove barriers to their participation in society.