Cameron publishes open public services update

Prime Minister David Cameron has published an update on the Open Public Services White Paper, which he claims shows how ministers have started to dismantle the ‘big-state structures’ inherited from the last government.

According to the document, the Government will consult from May on detailed proposals to make it easier to establish new Neighbourhood Councils.

By this summer the Local Government Association (LGA) and the National Association of Local Councils will be asked to develop model schemes for such bodies.

But chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Merrick Cockell said: ‘Councils are already working closely with Town and Parish councils and other community groups in redesigning services from the bottom up and additional unnecessary red tape from government is unlikely to help.

'In fact, local authorities are way ahead of the rest of the public sector in radically rethinking the way public services are delivered. Whether it is through community budgets, contracting out to charities or providing people with personalised budgets, town halls are leading the way in making services more responsive to local people and better value for money for the tax payer.’

‘A new range of powers for unelected quangos and ombudsmen must not get in the way of councils’ ability to hold services to account,’ Sir Merrick continued.

Responding for influential think tank the Institute for Government, programme director Tom Gash said while a ‘right to choose’ may signal to the public sector the Government’s commitment to increase public choice, the measure ‘is likely to prove unworkable in practice’.