A draft statement of practice on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector has been published and consultation will continue for three months. The aim of the document is to give greater certainty about jobs and existing terms and conditions when staff move to the private sector. 

Fears of local councillors that they will become rubber stamps for decision taken by elected mayors or cabinets have been somewhat calmed by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. His vision of the councillor of the future is someone who is leading the community, meeting their needs and making a difference.
The extent to which he expects the role to change can be seen by the phrases used. He said that traditional values must be retained, but in a modern setting. 

Fenwick J, Bailey M
The International Journal of Public Sector Management, (UK), 1999 Vol 12 No 3. Start page: 247. No of pages: 11
Discusses the effect of decentralization within local government in the United Kingdom. Focuses on whether the 1992 local government review has pushed the newly created unitary authorities towards decentralization in order to respond to new circumstances, and on the degree to which corporate management characterizes the organization of the new unitary councils.