Modernising Government White Paper (Hansard, 6 February 2002)

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State

The Modernising Government White Paper set out the following commitments:

Better policy making—The Centre for Management and Policy Studies in the Cabinet Office encourages effective policy making which produces results via training and development; networking and good practice and improved resources for research and evaluation

A recent survey report—"Better Policy Making"—provides over 40 worked examples of good practice in policy making. It also shows that policy-makers have assimilated and are taking action to modernise the policy process. More information is available at www.cmps.gov.uk.

Responsive, consumer focused public services—The Office of Public Service Reform is working with Departments to raise awareness of the principles of public sector reform and to increase feedback from customers to support policy making, service delivery and monitoring of performance, to ensure that services are designed around customers and are responsive to them.

Improving public services—The Prime Minister's Delivery Unit has been established to ensure that the Government achieve their delivery priorities during this Parliament across the key areas of public service: health, education, crime, asylum and transport.

E-government—The office of the e-Envoy published e-government: a strategic framework for public services in the information age, in April 2000, which set out the Government's strategy for Departments progressing towards the target of having 100 per cent. electronic service delivery by 2005.

The proportion of Government services available online has risen from 33 per cent. in spring 2000 to 51 per cent. in summer 2001, and is expected to reach 74 per cent. by the end of 2002. The UK online citizens' portal and the Government Gateway are providing the core infrastructure for the further development of e-government services. See website http://www.e-envoy-gov.uk/ukonline/strategy.htm

Valuing public service—We are creating a civil service for the 21st century. My Department continues to drive the Civil Service Reform programme, and good progress has been made. A report on progress was published in December 2000, and a further report in January 2002.

These reports, and information on progress across the many separate strands of the Civil Service Reform programme, are published on our dedicated website:www.civil-service.gov.uk/reform.