Government 'squandering billions'

Erm interesting 'Many public services are marred by deadening complexity and bureaucracy - Billions of pounds are being wasted by government departments which have failed to learn the lessons of the past - A 2% improvement in their spending could save £8bn a year'

Amazing, I thought under 'new labour' we were to believe things are getting better. But what does it matter, if they need more money we will just tax a few more people instead of improving system and cutting waste

Quote:

---

Billions of pounds are being wasted by government departments which have failed to learn the lessons of the past, a Commons committee has warned.
"Basic errors are repeated time and again," the Public Accounts Committee said, adding public services were marred by complexity and bureaucracy.

A 2% improvement in their spending could save £8bn a year, it argued.

The report comes a day after the chancellor hailed improvements in the public services in a pre-Budget report.

Gordon Brown told MPs the government had been investing more and getting taxpayers better value for money.

But the report by the influential committee of MPs paints a picture of waste and mismanagement.

Chairman Edward Leigh said that despite "fine words" and "earnest assurances" to his committee, departments had failed to learn from each other's experiences.

"Many public services are marred by deadening complexity and bureaucracy.

"There is a continuing lack of leadership and drive. And government departments still disregard common and well-publicised pitfalls when they approach projects," he said.

According to the committee's 17th report on achieving value for money in the delivery of public services, there has been too little progress over the last decade.

'Tackle fraud'

Improvements were not materialising or were taking place too slowly in many areas, it said.

And there was a failure to apply more widely the lessons learned in one part of the public sector, it added.

Mr Leigh concluded: "If one lesson stands out from the world of the Public Accounts Committee over the years, it is that government departments are masters at spending money but often far less proficient at ensuring this translates into better public services."

The committee urged government departments to plan more carefully before implementing projects and to strengthen project management.

Complexity and bureaucracy should be reduced and public service productivity increased.

It also urged departments to be more commercially astute and tackle fraud.

The committee based its comments on analysis of a sample of its own reports going back to the early 1990s.

---

Hate to say it but this country sucks!

-First time home buyers practically excluded from the market, yet there is a tax rebate for second home owners?!?! WTF?!?

-Average mortgage 10 years or so ago, 4-5 times your annual income, today- 10 times annual income at least. (assuming you want to lnot live in a war zone)

-Student debts spiraling

-Serious crime (like murder) getting 8 years!!

-Hospitals are still a joke

-Public transport in the hands of profit-mongers and their £1million bonuses!

-A voting system rigeed to keep out smaller parties

Yet with all this our government can still find the time to bomb Iraq! God, I love democracy... ~:rolleyes:

No wonder we have an aging population when everything in this country is so damm expensive (especially housing). 10 years ago, perhaps even less, people of 27/early thirties were in their first home with a kid or 2. Now...many are still living with parents.

Somehow society has got it into its head that just because we can all afford playstations and Tvs etc, we are somehow living in a golden age. The things that really matter, are in the drain...

Governments squander billions ?
But thats what their job is :shrug: