HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Paymaster General announces new panel to improve sector productivity [December 1998]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 7 December 1998.

The membership and direction of the new Public Services Productivity Panel was announced today by Paymaster General Geoffrey Robinson.

Speaking at the second Productivity Roadshow in Cambridge, Mr Robinson said:

“The productivity challenge must be met across all sectors of the economy – that includes the public sector. We want to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public spending, and the quality of service it buys. We are determined that the extra 40 billion billion we are investing in health and education delivers real measurable improvements.

“The new Public Services Productivity Panel will draw on private sector experience to look at ways of improving the productivity of Government departments and other public sector bodies.

“It will examine the Public Service Agreements to determine what will be most critical to each department’s ability to deliver its targets. It will also offer specific recommendations on service delivery improvement.

“I look forward to working with the Panel on how we can improve our productivity in Government.”

The Panel will be chaired by the Paymaster General; and the Vice Chair will be Byron Grote, of BP-Amoco.

Participating in the Cambridge event, Tottenham chief and entrepreneur Alan Sugar said:

“The Productivity Panel is another excellent Government initiative, designed to stimulate innovation and enterprise and I welcome the opportunity to help whenever I can in this worthwhile programme.”

Alan Sugar, a member of the Treasury’s team of business leaders, will tomorrow relaunch his nationwide Enterprise Tour of Schools, with the Chancellor and Paymaster General.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. The members of the Public Services Productivity Panel are:

Geoffrey Robinson MP, Paymaster General (Chair)

Byron Grote, Group Chief of Staff, BP (Vice Chair)

Lord Simon, Department of Trade and Industry

Lord Sainsbury, Department of Trade and Industry

Dame Sheila Masters DBE, Partner KPMG

Clare Spottiswoode, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Azurix

John Mayo, Finance Director, GEC plc

John Makinson, Group Finance Director, Pearson plc

Andrew Foster, Controller of Audit, The Audit Commission

John Dowdy, McKinsey

2. The Panel’s remit is to advise the Government on ways of improving the productivity and efficiency of government departments and other public sector agencies. It will report to the Cabinet Committee charged with overseeing departments’ progress against their new Public Service Agreements.

3. The roadshow was held at TWI (The Welding Institute) at Abington, near Cambridge. There will be other similar regional events throughout the UK over the next few months, as part of the Government’s consultation on the Pre-Budget Report. Ministers from a number of Government Departments will be involved – they will want to discuss directly with local business people and others possible solutions for closing the productivity gap. The roadshow will end in Birmingham on 5 February.

4. The Pre-Budget Report was published on 3 November. As well as setting out the steps needed to secure high and stable levels of employment, it forms the basis for a wide-ranging consultation on the steps that need to be taken to address the UK’s long-standing productivity gap.