Friday 11 June 2010

Defining ‘Frontline’

The true nature of the £6.25bn cuts announced by the government last month became clearer today as ministers revealed plans to strip millions from the budgets of local authorities, transport schemes and projects to reduce teenage pregnancy and tackle drug use.

The Conservatives' original promise of making savings by cutting costly IT projects and consultants while protecting frontline services, appear not to have materialised and the cuts represent a massive salami slice from across the government's budgets.
Well, no. It’s just the case that the definition of ‘frontline services’ differs from what the ‘Guardian’ fondly imagines it to be…
The Guardian has learned that the equalities watchdog, charged with tackling discrimination and safeguarding human rights, has been ordered to cut 15% from its budget.
You see, to inhabitants of ‘GuardianWorld’, a quango set up to ensure that Scouts don’t say anything offensive and that we all have our sex lives on government files counts as a ‘frontline’ government service, even when it is cheerfully breaking the rules it demands others live by…
On the Sunday before the election David Cameron told the BBC's Andrew Marr that if ministers came to him proposing frontline reductions they would be "sent straight back to their department to go away and think again".

Today's announcements raise new questions about the coalition's definition of what constitutes a frontline service after accusations that the cuts would harm crucial services.
Can’t in all honesty say any of those strike me as crucial.

But then, I’m not one of the Righteous.
The cuts to the Equality and Human Rights Commission has forced it to review its staffing, marketing and programme of grants to combat discrimination on the frontline.
Yeah, I think the UK will survive quite well without it..
Other agencies affected include the Food Standards Agency, whose future is under threat with confirmed plans to give its responsibilities for nutritional advice to the Department of Health and suggestions that the remainder of its responsibilities be returned to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
About time!

It’s a start, at least…

8 comments:

Ross said...

"The Guardian has learned that the equalities watchdog, charged with tackling discrimination and safeguarding human rights, has been ordered to cut 15% from its budget."

I'm outraged, it should have been cut by 100%.

Anonymous said...

Frontline public services are Health (hospitals & GPs), Police, and Primary and Secondary Education. All the rest is superfluous

Disenfranchised of Buckingham said...

HC you missed the Armed Forces. But no one would miss the MOD.

Anonymous said...

"The true nature of the £6.25bn cuts announced by the government last month became clearer today as ministers revealed plans to strip millions from the budgets of local authorities, transport schemes and projects to reduce teenage pregnancy and tackle drug use."
I know how to reduce teenage pregnancy and I will give the advice free.
Don't give them flats - as soon as they realise that getting pregnant is not a fast track to a life of ease (ease relative to working parents). Then the teenage pregnanacy rates will drop to Spanish levels.

Jiks said...

Ross, thats rather scary. That is exactly what I was going to post.

So I'll have to say "Killing a Quango a day keeps the IMF away" instead.

banned said...

A-Z of UK Government Agencies, hours of fun to be had with this

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/A-ZOfCentralGovernment/index.htm

It even regards "British Monarchy" as an Agency of the State, charming.

Frontline services are people doing jobs that we want done, binmen, teachers, nurses, public gardeners/park wardens (oh all right, Rangers).

Non jobsworths are climate change awareness officers, 5-a-day compliance staff and diversity&equality monkeys.

JuliaM said...

"I'm outraged, it should have been cut by 100%."

*sigh* If only...

"All the rest is superfluous..."

Waste management and roads too..?

"I know how to reduce teenage pregnancy and I will give the advice free.

Don't give them flats..."


Spot on!

"..."Killing a Quango a day keeps the IMF away"..."

:D

SadButMadLad said...

The Eqalities watchdog deserves to be cut back to the bone. They are one of the most profligate departments. See this article for how they believe they should spend money.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hopeless-phillips-condemned-for-equality-watchdog-spending-1754397.html

Trevor Phillips is the man who deserves to get shot of. Power has gone to his head because of "three government bodies – for racial equality, sex discrimination and disability rights – were wound up and absorbed into the new super commission, with over 400 staff and a £70m budget" of which he is now the chairman. Though I must admit he did has done some good stuff such as "criticising multiculturalism, a cause which many anti-racist campaigners hold dear"