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| LABOUR
MP CALLS FOR NEW CITIZENS' CHARTER ON PUBLIC SERVICES |
16/03/04 |
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Giving
rights to users in public services should be Labour's central third term
mission, claims a leading government backbencher.
Writing in a new Fabian pamphlet, Tony Wright, chair of the public administration
select committee, warns Labour's target driven approach has led to the government's
public services message getting lost in a technocratic debate about managerial
reform.
The pamphlet, A New Social Contract: From Targets To Rights In Public Services,
argues that Labour's third term agenda needs to turn the debate round, putting
users rather than service providers at the centre of the reform agenda.
Wright calls for a new system of "public service guarantees" -
based on user representation, rights and redress. These would clearly set
out what users can expect from the money paid for public services, and what
to expect if these expectations are not fulfilled.
Wright says: "It is time to be more explicit about the contract between
the state and citizens with respect to public services. I am arguing that
this can be done through a new kind of citizens' charter.
"This will not involve lawyers, but it will specify the public service
entitlements that people can expect and ensure that something happens if
these are not met. This approach turns public service reform on its head,
by putting users in the driving seat."
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