Monthly Archives: August 2011

Local standards are a national issue

31 August 2011 | Kerry Ace

Proposals in the Localism Bill to abolish Standards for England and councils’ national code of conduct could threaten good governance in local government Read more

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‘Generation rent’ needs a helping hand

31 August 2011 | Vidhya Alakeson

Without a clear signal from government of its commitment to  build-to-let development, we are unlikely to see  investment take off in a new type of private rented sector   Read more

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Riotous assemblies

30 August 2011 | Tony Travers

Continuing economic uncertainty, coalition tensions, phone hacking and civil disorder are among the challenges facing politicians at this year’s round of party conferences Read more

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Executive decisions

30 August 2011 | Kate Jenkins & Jennifer Gold

Executive agencies might be the government’s favourite way of providing public functions at arm’s length – but a one-size-fits-all model misses the point Read more

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Two cheers for the All Party Outsourcing Group

26 August 2011 | John Tizard

The new All Party Parliamentary Group on outsourcing is a welcome addition to the public services debate, but it must take care to engage with the right arguments Read more

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Why rail fares aren’t fair

25 August 2011 | Jim Cuthbert

It seems that commuters are facing huge increases in train fares partly due to the unfair capital pricing model adopted by the rail industry Read more

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All in the game

24 August 2011 | Alan Finch

The provision of public services is very much like a complex game of ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’, with the government aiming to establish an ‘altruistic equilibrium’ Read more

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In the know on outsourcing?

23 August 2011 | Martyn Hart

The launch of a new all-party group on outsourcing and shared services could offer a more objective assessment of the involvement of the private and third sectors in delivering public services Read more

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Care market conundrum

23 August 2011 | Claudia Wood

As the Winterbourne View scandal shows no sign of dying down, what began as a Panorama exposé has now opened up a broader debate about the sustainability of the residential care market Read more

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Will the Work Programme work?

22 August 2011 | Ian Mulheirn

Just how viable is the government’s scheme to get the long-term jobless back into work? Read more

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