A website has been launched to help the tens of thousands of public authorities getting ready for the Freedom of Information Act, which comes into operation at the beginning of next year. It is estimated that about 100,000 bodies – ranging from doctor’s surgeries to police forces and local councils to central government departments will benefit from the new site.The site has been set up by the Department for Constitutional Affairs to act as a ‘one-stop shop’ to answer questions about the new legislation. The law will mean that from January 1st members of the public will be able to request a wide range of information from public authorities, such as minutes of meetings and background material that has been used to make policy decisions.

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A report today claims that if productivity in the public sector had risen at the same rate as it has in private business since 1998, government spending would need to be only 35 per cent of Britain’s Gross Domestic Product.”Tax ‘n’ Spend: No way to run an economy” has been written by Ruth Lea, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies. Her study says that if UK government spending was as efficient as that in Japan, the United States or Luxembourg, public spending could be reduced to just 84 per cent of its current levels.

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By Andy Furlong and Fred Cartmel Unemployment blackspots exist in the era of full employment, but they are not restricted to specific areas. The authors looked at the blackspot of unskilled young men aged 25 – 29. The origins of their situation are traced back to disenchantment with school and inadequate family support. They call for an holistic approach to the issue, not just more government training schemes which fail to deliver results.