Re-Organising Government

 The Government has 25 Ministerial Departments, 22 non-Ministerial Departments, 370 Agencies and other public bodies, 76 high profile groups within departments, 11 public corporations and 3 devolved administrations.  It is just too big.  It has grown like Topsy as politicians have added layer upon layer of complexity.  It can be made simpler and more purposeful.

The Government’s many functions – security, welfare, health, education etc – all add up to one over-riding role:  to protect and enhance the well-being of British citizens.  It does this by governing efficiently, by keeping British citizens safe and by ensuring that they are fed, sheltered and healthy and have the necessities of life.  And increasingly by giving each citizen the opportunity to develop and flourish.  In particular this can be expressed as the 13 clear purposes shown below.

How should the Government organise itself?  Simple.  For each purpose there should be one Department  with a clear Statement of Policy to define what it is to achieve.  All other departments and agencies may be incorporated into the Ministerial departments.:-

  1.  Cabinet Office – Running the Government efficiently
  2. Her Majesty’s Treasury – Managing the economy
  3. Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Keeping us safe from threats from foreign countries and, with international co-operation, safe from threats of human extinction
  4. Department of Energy and Climate Change – Ensuring an adequate supply of energy while playing our part in international moves to keep us safe from climate change
  5. Home Office – Keeping us safe in the UK from crime, terrorism and illegal immigration
  6. Department of Health – Providing a world class health service free at the point of delivery
  7. Department for Food and Agriculture   – Ensuring a reliable supply of reasonably priced good quality food
  8. Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government  –  Ensuring that people have adequate housing and that they live in supportive communities with a say in what affects their lives.
  9. Department for Work and Pensions  – Ensuring that every British citizen has sufficient income for the necessities of life
  10. Department for Education – Ensuring that British citizens are educated and trained in skills that will equip them for a productive and fulfilling life
  11. Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – Providing the environment in which British businesses can flourish
  12. Department for Environment, Land Use, Transport and Utilities – Managing the use of land as a source of amenity and pride for current and future generations
  13. Department for Culture, Media and Sport – Creating a culture which encourages citizens to celebrate being British.

With clear goals and freedom from chaotic political interference our Civil Servants will be able to use their undoubted talents to make significant and continuing improvements which will benefit us all.  The Government role will largely be to monitor progress and to approve major initiatives.

The Government Organisation Changes in Detail are set out in this section.

In This Section

4 Replies to “Re-Organising Government”

  1. Neil
    Some further thoughts for you.
    All quangos are abolished forthwith.
    Public enquiries, are no longer permissible, it is for the individual minister to gain all of the necessary advice and background information, make a report signing it (with his personal name) and issue it to the people.
    Unless you have a minimum of three core subject A-levels, University is no longer for you, the apprenticeship programme will come under the authority the Department for Business, innovation, and skills. The junior minister for this will have preset targets as to the number of apprenticeships, the percentage that pass through to full-time jobs, and their salary levels three years after qualifying. In order to assist this process the sandwich course which existed in the 60s and 70s will be reintroduced, whereby three days are spent on the shop floor or site of the employer with two days released for higher education study, which must be supplemented by at least one evening per week. The appointed minister will be judged against a preset objective list. The present management structure of the health service will be abolished over a three year period, in its place a team of directors answering to a chairman with 30 years experience of business at that level will be appointed. Their target will be to reduce the total spending by at least 40%, whilst increasing the current dismal performance by a minimum of 30% measured on the current scale. To aid this process, it will be split into three separate management boards, the first will deal with GPs and first contact care, second hospitals, and the third long-term social care. The brief will be to reduce all costs The Department of environment and land use will take over all local authority planning decisions, a panel of experts which will comprise professionally qualified architects and town planners, answering to a management board which will be headed by a chairman with at least 25 years experience running a major property company. The Ministry of Defence will be incorporated into the foreign office, the Minister responsible will answer directly to the Prime Minister, with his team embedded within the foreign office. Procurement will be removed from the Ministry of Defence, and be headed by a junior minister employed by the Department for business, innovation and skills, once again a management board will be appointed answering to a chairman, who has at least 30 years experience in private industry, with an industrial background. The police and prison service will be removed from the Home Office, and operate as a management board, with the chairman who will come from a business background with a minimum of 30 years experience will answer directly to the Prime Minister. My initial thoughts, and with some time, I’m sure I could dream up at least 500 ways of reducing costs, and countless ways of increasing productivity and profit.

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