Ideas for saving public money? The Treasury wants to hear from you
The Treasury has launched a website asking for evidence from the frontline about how public spending can be saved:
This week’s Budget set out a 25 per cent cut in spending for most departments over four years. Now, we want you to help us find those savings so we can cut public spending in a way that is fair and responsible. You work on the frontline of public services. You know where things are working well, where the waste is, and where we can re-think things so that we get better services for less money.
Share your idea with us. Either one you’ve been thinking about for a while, an idea you’ve had in response to this challenge, or something you’ve worked up with your colleagues. Your idea could be small-scale, but quick and easy to put into action. It could be more radical, involving significant changes to where and how government works. Either way, please be as specific as you can. We may come back to you to to discuss the idea with you in more detail.
You can submit your idea anonymously, if you like. Individual ideas won’t appear online, but every submission will be looked at in the way set out in the ‘What happens now’ section below. The website is open until July 8th, after which the process will be opened up to the wider public.
More details and the form to submit ideas are at http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
Now that the country is being run on a “business footing” rather than purely political, why do we purchase high cost “goods” e.g. university degrees, for which there is no market?
Most school graduates that I have spoken to and asked what career path they wish to follow, have no idea, but are going to university to be socially accepted and have a bloody good year or two away from home, at whatever cost.
As the country is in need of certain skills e.g. doctors, surgeons, engineers, scientists etc., I believe there should be an incentive for people to study such disciplines as determined by national needs, whereas others e.g. European history and other non-contributing degrees, may be studied but at their own cost. Savings made in this way, could be directed towards trade apprenticeships, a skill set that is seriously lacking, and yet will provide young people with great employment potential in the future, and even self employment. This was my background when companies like Austin, Ford, GEC, BTH, English Electric contributed millions to the British economy.
Your comment or even an acknowledging reply will be appreciated, and let me believe that somebody is listening!
Cameron Mann.
Cameron: I think the main problem with your suggested approach is that many university degrees bring wider benefits to society than the direct financial benefit to the person who gets them – and so following your route would result in some degrees being undervalued and there not being enough of them. For example, if someone takes a medical degree en route to becoming a medical professional, they benefit from it – but so does wider society, which needs a sufficient supply of medical professionals.
There does seem to be a disconnect between vetting for security purposes and vetting for say doctors and teachers etc. SC clearance is valid for 10 years before being revalidated but CRB checks are much more frequent – something seems wrong here!