29 November 2002
Sir Jeremy Beecham, who represents local authorities in England and Wales, told the Commons' public administration select committee on November 21 that it was time Labour rationalised hundreds of targets and agreed them with councils first, instead of imposing them.
Asked by the committee how many centrally determined benchmarks for local authorities he would find 'acceptable', Beecham railed against government policy. 'You've got to look at outcomes and have targets that are meaningful for those that use and deliver services. You've also got to avoid over-use: 140 targets is far too many.'
Beecham told the committee, due to publish a report on the issue next year, that attention should be given to identifying council services that are most in need of measurement such as social services, instead of less important elements such as library targets.
But he stopped short of calling for an end to centrally determined benchmarks. 'We need to indicate what's achievable – just not at the expense of service delivery. We also need a cultural change to make sure people are not punished for not meeting targets,' he added.
Beecham also called for a reduction in Audit Commission inspections, claiming they were too expensive and that findings often 'misled' the public. 'The [inspection] process is demoralising for staff,' he said.
PFnov2002
