15 December 2000
Two-thirds of respondents to a questionnaire published in the magazine suggested that central and local government would fail to reach the prime minister's goal.
At chief executive level the doubt was even stronger, with 73% predicting failure. Some 89% of the readers polled had access to the Internet.
The wide-ranging survey also showed a high degree of pessimism about the Private Finance Initiative. Nearly
one-third of respondents described PFI as 'an expensive and complicated way to invest in public services'. A further 4% said it was 'privatisation by another name'.
On the subject of Best Value, nearly half those polled thought it a useful or necessary innovation, though 24% agreed that it was a particularly time-consuming process. But a minority of 3% considered Best Value a waste of time.
All respondents to the survey were entered into a prize draw. The winner was Stewart Tyson from Leeds who wins a case of champagne.
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