214/99
21 December 1999
PUBLIC SERVICES REFORM: MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE
DETAILS OF CROSS-CUTTING REVIEWS IN 2000 SPENDING REVIEW
Further details of the 13 cross Departmental spending reviews which are to be one of the major innovations in next year's Spending Review were announced by the Chief Secretary, Andrew Smith 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. The cross-cutting spending reviews in last year's Comprehensive Spending Review were very successful, bringing forward radical and innovative new approaches including the National Drugs Strategy and the Sure Start Programme which is improving services for young children and families.
Speaking in a debate in Parliament on Public Expenditure Andrew Smith said:
"In the 2000 Spending Review, to be completed next year, we want to ensure policies and services are designed and delivered in a more integrated, flexible and customer-centred way. But for this to happen, we need to enhance the Government machine's capabilities for designing and delivering cross-cutting policies and programmes. Problems like crime and social exclusion cannot be tackled by Whitehall departments acting in isolation. Departments need to work with each other to develop coherent and consistent policy and to ensure that this is delivered in a coherent and consistent way.
"We must all learn to work with others, to build a new culture of partnership. We must reach out to service providers in local government, the voluntary sector and the private sector and consult with service users themselves."
In consultation with departments and local government, the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary have identified a list of thirteen cross-cutting reviews to be conducted between now and next summer.
A cross-cutting review of Welfare to Work will consider how we can move towards employment and opportunity for all. In addition to last year's review of Services for Children, which established the Sure Start Programme, the Government has added reviews looking at Young People at Risk and Old People.
To last year's reviews of Drugs and the Criminal Justice System, the Government has added a new review of Crime Reduction, exploring new options for tackling the causes of crime.
The Government is building on the review of Local Government Finance in last year's Comprehensive Spending Review. In addition there will be two new reviews looking at area-specific problems: a review of Government Intervention in Deprived Areas and a review of Rural and Countryside Programmes.
The Government has established a review of Science and Research, to consider how public support can better address the needs of the economy at large.
Two further reviews will look at cross-cutting issues overseas. The first of these will consider how Britain can best contribute to Conflict Prevention, with an initial focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The second will look at Britain's contribution to Nuclear Safety in the Former Soviet Union.
For each of these reviews, the Prime Minister has identified a lead Minister. An inter-departmental team has been established, and the reviews will draw on relevant expertise from inside and outside Whitehall.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The review of Welfare to Work and ONE will consider how the Government can move further towards its aim of employment opportunity for all. The review will look at all expenditure devoted to moving people from welfare to work, including expenditure on the Employment Service, the New Deals and the cost of providing benefits, training and advice for those not in work. This work is being led by members of the Cabinet sub-committee on Welfare to Work. Departments involved include Education and Employment, Social Security, Health, Inland Revenue and others.
The review of Sure Start and Services for the Under Fives will consider the Sure Start programme in the light of developments since its launch in 1998. It will review evidence which has emerged since the last spending review, and will aim to take a complete view of what current needs are and what different government programmes are delivering. Minister for Public Health Yvette Cooper will report on this review with Secretary of State for Employment David Blunkett. Involved are the Departments of Health, Education and Employment, Environment, Transport and Regions, Social Security and the Home Office.
The review of Young People at Risk will report on the most cost effective policies and means of service delivery for helping young people at risk aged 13 - 19 to make the transition safely from childhood to adulthood. It will make recommendations on adjustment to existing programmes as well as on co-ordination and accountability arrangements. The work is being led by Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities Tessa Jowell and involves Departments across Whitehall.
The review of Support for Older People will look at the scope for improving the "gateway" to ongoing care and support for older people and some disabled people who cannot work. It will review existing arrangements for information provision and needs assessments, exploring the possibility of a single point of access to services. It will consider the scope for more rational, effective and efficient systems of service delivery across the boundaries of social services, social security, the NHS, other government bodies, and the private and voluntary sectors. The work is being led by Minister of State for the Cabinet Office Ian McCartney and involves Departments across Whitehall.
The Criminal Justice System review will build on initial work in the Comprehensive Spending Review. The CSR proposed setting clear objectives and targets for the criminal justice system as a whole and introducing new arrangements for joint strategic planning and performance management at national and local level. The new study will take stock of what has been achieved and what more remains to be done, and help underpin effective crime reduction. The Home Secretary Jack Straw will lead this review. All departments involved in the criminal justice system will participate.
The review of Drugs will build on the work undertaken in the previous spending review to make a fundamental and rigorous assessment of the effectiveness of the use of existing anti-drugs resources. As well as considering the outputs and resources required to underpin the strategy, it will also consider mechanisms for co-ordination and delivery of the strategy, both at national and local level. A particular concern will be to focus efforts on pro-actively tackling the root causes, rather than reactively subsidising failure. The review is being led by Minister for the Cabinet Office Mo Mowlam, working with the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator Keith Hellawell and Departments across Whitehall.
The review of Crime Reduction will build on the Crime Reduction Strategy established in the last spending review. It will consider the scope for crime-reducing activities across the whole of Government, tackling the full range of factors associated with criminality and offending. The review team will ensure that its findings are reflected in resource allocation and target setting in the 2000 Spending Review. The review is being led by Home Office Minister of State Charles Clarke and Departments across Whitehall are involved.
The review of Local Government Finance will provide an overview of the spending needs and objectives of English local government to inform decisions in the 2000 Spending Review. The key outputs of the review will be the local authority revenue settlement and investment strategy. The review will also consider how targets can best be delivered on the ground. The review is being led by Minister for Local Government and the Regions Hilary Armstrong. All Departments with an interest in local government are involved.
The review of Government Intervention in Deprived Areas will consider the impact of main programmes in deprived areas as well as regeneration funds and area-based initiatives. Building on recent work by the Social Exclusion Unit, it will seek to ensure that the 2000 Spending Review supports the Government's aim of narrowing the gap between the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of the country. The Chief Secretary has asked Treasury Permanent Secretary Sir Andrew Turnbull to lead this review, reporting to all interested ministers.
The review of Rural and Countryside Programmes will build on the recent recommendations to Government by the Performance and Innovation Unit and ongoing work on the Rural White Paper. It will consider rural development, environmental issues and the provision of public services in rural areas. Minister for the Cabinet Office Mo Mowlam will lead this review. Other departments involved include the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of Environment Transport and the Regions and the Department of Trade and Industry.
The review of Science and Research aims to ensure that science which is supported from public funds in England is being properly conducted and exploited to the benefit of the economy at large. This work will take full account of work being carried out for a Science and Innovation strategy led by the DTI. It will be led by Minister for Science Lord Sainsbury, and will involve the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department for Education and Employment, and the other Departments that play a significant role in this area.
The review of Conflict Prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa will consider how the UK's objectives for conflict prevention in this region can best be defined and delivered. The review will also consider the scope for applying the conclusions of the review to conflict prevention worldwide. The review will be led by Secretary of State for International Development Clare Short. Other departments involved include the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.
The review of Nuclear Safety in the Former Soviet Union will identify the UK's key priorities, taking into account G7, EU and other international efforts to address nuclear safety, security and mitigation of the nuclear legacy in the FSU. It will examine how both UK bilateral assistance and UK contributions to multilateral programmes contribute towards achieving these objectives. The review is being led by Foreign Office Minister of State John Battle. Other Departments involved include Trade and Industry, Defence, International Development and Environment, Transport and the Regions.
The Treasury, Cabinet Office and outside experts will be involved in all thirteen reviews.