§ 8. Mr. Peter Bradley (The Wrekin)What representations he has received on his proposals to reform the charter programme. [39797]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service (Mr. Peter Kilfoyle)We are committed to modernising and improving the quality of public services right across the country by focusing on the issues that are most important to the user. As an important step in trying to achieve this, we have consulted widely on the future shape of the charter programme, and have received very positive and helpful responses from a wide range of organisations and individuals.
Our full plans for the new charter programme will be available when it is launched later in the year.
§ Mr. BradleyDoes my hon. Friend agree that, far too frequently under the previous Government, citizens charters were not worth the paper they were written on? Far from conferring on citizens new and valuable rights, they were too often carefully erected as barriers to keep the public at bay.
Is my hon. Friend aware of the recent research published by the National Consumer Council which found that, of 1,000 public services polled, a third had not acted in response to public consultation that they had conducted and about half were not aware whether the public were happier or less happy with their work since the publication of their charter? Can my hon. Friend advise the House 708 what practical measures the Government will take to ensure that, in future, performance matches the promise of citizens charters?
§ Mr. KilfoyleThe NCC report was taken seriously by the charter unit within the Cabinet Office. The NCC and many other organisations have been consulting with us on how we should redraft the charters. I should point out that the problem with the previous Government was that they believed that everything was top down. We are taking a different approach. Our recent consultation elicited more than 270 responses from organisations and individuals. I have consulted service providers at the coal face, from as far north as Edinburgh down to Southampton, to find out what they think charters should be about. We have now introduced, at the pilot stage, the people's panel, to find out what the citizens expect of public services.