The drive for better quality public services is being reflected in higher stress levels. Zurich Municpal, the leading provider of risk management services and advice to the UK public sector, has reported a 30% rise in stress related claims since last year. Typical of a growing number of claims for mental and emotional injury was a social worker who was awarded 140,000 pounds for a stress related illness. One in five people in the workplace in the UK experience work related stress.The Confederation of British Industry’s annual absence survey published in May 2001 revealed that public sector workers continue to be absent for more days than those in the private sector. An average of 10.2 days compared to 7.6 for the private sector.

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Central government departments emerge as the big spenders in the National Computing Centre’s Survey of IT Spend 2001. Departments’ spend per end user is 4,444 pounds compared to the overall average of public and private sectors of 3,022 pounds. Local Government’s total combined IT spend is 2,203 pounds and the health service emerges as the Cinderella with 1325 pounds per end user. These figures contrast with the Finance sector which spends 13,685.This disparity in spend between different parts of the public sector carries through to capital spend. While central departments spend 1,333 pounds per end user, local government only spends 463 pounds.

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By Sarah Spencer and Beatrice SternA new report published by the Institute for Public Policy Research reveals that the reluctance of the public to report crime and give evidence in court is seriously undermining the justice system. An ICM poll carried out as part of the research found that 12 per cent of adults would not report a murder, 59 per cent would not report screaming from their neighbours and 70 per cent would not report a street brawl. The British Crime Survey shows that 4.5 times more crimes are committed than are reported to the police, and only 14% of those who do witness an assault report it.

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