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Ministers welcome public service report
29/06/2011
The Scottish Government today welcomed publication of a far-reaching report into reform of public services in Scotland.
The Christie Commission was established in November 2010 to examine how Scotland's public services can be delivered in future to secure improved outcomes for communities across the country. Its recommendations have now been published.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said:
"Effective and efficient public services are vital to Scotland's economic and social wellbeing. In the current economic climate and with increasing demand on the services that matter most to the people of Scotland, the need to improve service delivery and redesign services to secure greater value for money is pressing.
"Our public services face significant challenges: unprecedented cuts to the Scottish Government budget from Westminster, long standing inequalities, increased public expectations and an imperative to cut carbon emissions.
"However, the Scottish Government is ambitious to maintain and improve our public services within tightly constrained resources. We are building on firm foundations: a track record of closer local and national partnership working; improved alignment across the public sector to deliver shared national outcomes; a simplification programme that is on target to reduce the number of public bodies by 25 per cent and improved cross-sectoral working, drawing on the strengths of the third and private sectors.
"We are determined to go further delivering an ambitious reform programme, which puts citizens and communities at the centre.
"That is why the Christie Commission's report is both timely and important. It recognises that much has been done, but rightly argues that further fundamental reforms must now be considered and urgently progressed.
"We recognise that a co-ordinated view needs to be taken across Government. The Cabinet Sub Committee on public service reform will meet for the first time today to shape and take forward our plans. In the meantime we extend our thanks to all the members of the Commission for the serious and systematic way they have approached their task and for the substantial report they have produced."