Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) are now using the internet as a key business tool, according to new research by Oftel. 

Pay on a par with MPs is one of the key recommendations of a new study that tries to point the way to creating truly revitalised local government.The New Local Government Network, (NGLN) a left-leaning think tank, has spent nine months reviewing the Labour Government’s intentions in trying to modernise councils, and concludes that really useful local government will come from the following changes:a major IT push to help councils deliver services electronically’partnership contracts’ - a development on the idea of public service agreements - giving more emphasis on councils being driven by what local people say they wantstrong leadership by council leaders offered the same pension, pay and support as MPsa government department for devolution - whose job would be to limit initiatives and interventions from other central departmentsinvestment in those areas of local government which are still valued by the public but which have been underfunded. 

The appointment of Susan Thomas as Director of Corporate Services with a seat on the Department for Education and Employment Board reveals that new thinking is starting to affect Whitehall. Although there have been outside appointments to top civil service posts in the past few months, such as the new chairman of Customs and Excise, this is probably the first appointment of a changemaster who is adept at the art of leading change. 

The most radical reform of local councils for a century is about to sweep through town halls. Legislation is now in place for councils to move away from the committee system of decision taking and to set up systems that separate councillors into those with an executive role and backbenchers.The committee system has long been recognised as inefficient. 

Vermeulen W
Training for Quality, (UK), Vol 5 No 1 97
Start page: 40. No of pages: 6
Contends that the attitudes of employees will determine the ability of an organization to change, examining how the quality culture of an organization will affect the implementation of total quality management (TQM). 

Survey forms are pouring into local council offices revealing how satisfied people are with the services they receive, but it will not be possible to compare performance between councils until well into the next Best Value plan year. 

The Post office has started to move its 18,500 branches into the information age by signing a deal with UKVillages.co.uk, an independent company that raises revenue through sponsorship. All post offices will have their own webpage, free of charge, where they can set out their services, special offers and news. 

Leadership is lacking in moving public services towards e-government. This is the claim made by EURIM - the European Infomatics Market, an industry- Parliament lobby group. The Group’s report, A Shock to the System - Joined up Electronic Government, is critical of progress made in developing e-government. 

Central and local government are each set to make an annual saving of 30m pounds on water bills as a result of strategic initiative taken by the Office for Government Commerce. 

Martin SPublic Administration, (UK), 2000 Vol 78 No 1
Start page: 209. No of pages: 19
Assesses the impact the ‘Best Value’ will have on local government in the UK. Discusses the differences between Best Value and compulsory competitive tendering, the system it replaces. Sees the change as indicating a shift in the relationship between central and local government, with locus of decision making moving away from the centre towards the localities.