Public Service Reform

The new Government has come to office committed to the reform of public services, particularly in terms of increasing the role of charities, social enterprises, mutuals and cooperatives in public service delivery. The Modern Commissioning Green Paper was published for consultation on 7 December 2010 and the results of the consultation were to feed in to the Public Service Reform White Paper, which was initially due to be published in January 2011.

This Standard Note provides background information on the Coalition Government’s public service reform agenda and current ideas about commissioning public services.

In a speech on public service reform on 5 July 2010, David Cameron, the Prime Minister, stated that “I want one of the great achievements of this Government to be the complete modernisation of our public services. I want us to make our schools and hospitals among the best in the world. To open them up and make them competitive, more local and more transparent. To give more choice to those who use our public services and more freedom to the professionals who deliver them.”

Specific information on the reform of the civil service can be found in Library Standard Note SN/PC/05769, Civil Service reform.

This note is no longer being updated.