as to how this would help the budget. It makes no sense to sell off Scottish Water at a fraction of its asset value, only to send the cash to London. Meanwhile, the water charge payer will have to pick up the purchase cost through higher charges and cuts in service. Interestingly, Paris has just brought its water service back under public control. It was privatised under the guise of a public interest company and just two years later, production was in the hands of multinational companies. Back under public control, charges have been frozen and profits are flowing back into the public purse. Those such as the IBR who advocate swingeing cuts in public spending generally pay little attention to the overall economic impact of the cuts. Taking billions of pounds out of public services means taking billions of pounds out of the economy. As well as mass job losses, the IBR panel recommend years of pay restraint. 70p in every pound spent on public services finds its way back into the local


economy. The state recoups 92 per cent of the cost of employing a public sector worker through increased tax revenues and reduced benefits payments. If the CSR delivers cuts on a scale


“Despite the hype,


shared services have not provided the answer


to more cost-effective services”


approaching the IBR report, the resulting mass redundancies and real-terms wage cuts will be a hammer blow to local economies across Scotland. It is estimated that between 70,000 and 90,000 jobs could go in the public sector across Scotland. The recruitment freeze is


already condemning a generation of young people, many of whom have trained for years, to unemployment. By the Treasury’s own model, this scale of job loss in the public sector will result in almost 100,000 workers in the private sector losing their jobs. The idea that the UK is bankrupt and has no option other than to take an axe to public services is a politically-driven myth. Cutting public services is not the only way to cut debt: raising taxes for those who can afford to pay more and clamping down on tax avoidance will also reduce the deficit. As will cutting out wasteful spending including PPP schemes and private consultants. This is before considering that public services have been expanded at points when public debt is higher than current levels or that the relative cost of servicing UK debt is currently very low. We can cut our way out of a slump at appalling social and economic cost but – as UNISON and the STUC have been pointing out – ‘There is a Better Way’.


The core purpose of the Improvement Service is to:


• improve knowledge management and practice sharing across councils and adopting of good practice


• provide practical tools and resources to support local change and innovation


• support improvement by improved governance, scrutiny and performance management


• lead innovative development programmes


• ensure access to high quality cost effective training and development opportunities for elected members and managers


IS Senior Management Team consists of: Colin Mair, Chief Executive


Mark McAteer, Director of Governance & Performance Management Paul Dowie, Director of Shared Services


Kate O’Hagan, Head of Organisational Development


Mike McLean, Head of Knowledge Management Loraine Higgins, Business Manager


we can be contacted at: The Improvement Service,Westerton House, Westerton Road,Broxburn, EH52 5AU


As we go forward our key focus will be on enhancing the practical support we can offer councils and their partners in what will be difficult and challenging times ahead. For more details, and to look at our business plans, please go to – www.improvementservice.org.uk or call us on 01506 775558


Tel: 01506 775558 - Fax: 01506 775566 E-mail: info@improvementservice.org.uk


4 October 2010 Holyrood 29


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34