199/99
24 November 1999
PUBLIC SERVICES REFORM: MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE MORE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL STUDIES IN 2000 SPENDING REVIEW
The Government has decided to increase from 6 to 13 the number of cross Departmental spending studies in the forthcoming 2000 Spending Review, the Chief Secretary Andrew Smith announced today. This follows clear evidence that cross Departmental work is making a real difference, allowing service providers to find new and better ways of responding to the needs of local people.
Andrew Smith commented:
"We want to see a step change in the quality of public services. We have shown our commitment already with extra resources for key areas like Health and Education, but we want to go further in ensuring that policies and services are designed and delivered in a more integrated, flexible and customer-centred way. The cross Departmental work in the original Comprehensive Spending Review has proved to be a success. We want to build on this in next year's Review to ensure a more coherent approach to the delivery of services . I am grateful to Departments for the innovative and practical way they have responded to this initiative."
The proposed new cross Departmental studies will cover:
- rural and countryside programmes
- young people at risk
- crime reduction
- support for older people
- drugs
- Government intervention in deprived areas
- science and research
- Welfare to Work and ONE
- the criminal justice system
- Sure Start and services for the under 5s
-
conflict prevention
- nuclear safety in the former Soviet Union
- Local Government finance
The Government is determined to ensure that public spending is directed to delivering high quality public services. This means:
- raising the standards of front line service delivery
focussing on outcomes - what counts is what works - accountability for performance
- effective teamwork to achieve shared goals
NOTES TO EDITORS
There were six cross Departmental reviews in the 1998 CSR covering the criminal justice system, illegal drugs, countryside and rural policy, housing, provision for young children, and local Government finance.
These have resulted in a range of innovative inter-Departmental initiatives, including:
-
the Sure Start programme, pioneering new ways to support pre-school children and their families
- a Housing Inspectorate, with tough new powers to tackle poor management in council housing
- joined up approaches in the Criminal Justice System, including establishing joint strategic planning and performance management
- a national drugs strategy, with a new focus on tackling the causes of drug abuse
the establishment of a new Countryside Agency, combining the functions of the Rural Development Agency and the Countryside Commission.