HC Deb 13 February 1992 vol 203 cc1103-4
15. Mr. Andrew Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on how the charter mark will operate.

Mr. Maude

Charter marks will be awarded each year to those organisations that have delivered service to the public to the highest standard at present available. They must be able to show measurable improvements in the quality of their services over the past two years, and customer satisfaction, and they must have in hand or plan to introduce at least one innovative enhancement to their services which entails no additional cost to the taxpayer or consumer.

Mr. Mitchell

Since the charter mark is designed to improve public services, does my hon. Friend agree that the attack launched today on the citizens charter by the National and Local Government Officers Association in a lavish newspaper advertising campaign is typical of that union's contempt for the consumer and lack of interest in improving public services?

Mr. Maude

What is depressing about that campaign is its spineless acceptance that nothing can be done to improve public services without throwing huge amounts of money at them. It would be interesting to hear whether the Labour party agrees with the view of that huge public sector trade union. Or does it accept that the only way to make things better is to lavish ever-greater sums of public money on the public services?