Digital TV is increasingly seen as the most effective way of ensuring that the gap between the information rich and the information poor is bridged and that people are not disadvantaged because they do not have access to the Internet. Over half the UK population use the Internet but only 10% of the lowest income group are online, compared to 82% in the highest income group. There is also an age divide with 94% of 16-24 year olds on line compared to 17% of those over 65.Wider use of computers is unlikely to deliver the Government’s commitment to bridge the digital divide, particularly as far as the elderly and those with disabilities is concerned. The Office of the Deputy prime Minister is promoting the use of digital TV and the market suppliers are positioning for the development. The latest move is a partnership framework agreement between ITNET, a leading IT business consulting and business process outsourcing company and iPublic, a division of Yoomedia plc, which focuses on delivering interactive digital television and wireless solutions for the public sector. The two companies will also jointly bid and deliver IDTV solutions for local government projects.
New laws coming into effect today give local councils more freedom to decide how to manage their finances, to engage in trade and charge for services which are not a legal requirement. They are now free to borrow without Government consent, provided they can afford to take on the debt. The new laws also give greater control over council tax discounts and discretion to reduce the council tax on second homes, charge full council tax on long-term empty homes and introduce their own discounts or exemptions from council tax.The power to trade in any of the council’s normal functions has only been given to the better performers. Those councils classified under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment as excellent, good or fair will have the power, but those in the two lower categories will not.
By Philip Allmendinger, Mark Tewdwr-Jones and Janice MorphetSince the 1990s there has been a long-standing concern in government towards public sector accountability, management, efficiency and service delivery. This paper attempts to specify the changes with particular reference to planning, and to consider the evolution of the public service ethic in planning towards more openness, scrutiny, transparency and efficiency with particular reference to the changing ethos of the professional employee. The authors explore the main impacts upon local government, the public service ethic and professional planning as a consequence of the Modernization agenda and freedoms and flexibilities initiative. They also look at how such changes have impacted upon the ethos and values in public service and planning. The principal findings indicate that the much-trumpeted decline of services and standards may not have been as apparent as is sometimes portrayed and that internal professional attitudes and values towards the external changes may not have significantly altered over the period.
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