Most requests which will be made under the new Freedom of Information Act will be free of charge, the Government has announced. Lord Falconer, the Constitutional Affairs Secretary, said they did not want cost to be a factor in putting off people from seeking the information they required.The decision means that for information which costs public bodies less than 450 pounds to retrieve and collate, there will be no charge. That figure is roughly equivalent to two and a half days of work that a public body will be doing for free. Government departments will only be able to charge where costs rise above 600 pounds, or about three and a half days work.

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Users of adult social services would get the right to complain to any member of staff and to have their complaint resolved immediately under proposals to streamline the system, which have now gone out to consulation.The Health Minister, Stephen Ladyman, said the proposals had been drawn up to make the adult social services complaints system simpler and faster and with the objective of helping local authorities to improve their services by learning from mistakes.

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By Stephen Reeve and Warren Hatter.The report from the new Local Government Network, an independent think-tank seeking to transform public services, emphasises the period beyond the process of contract signing. The authors identify the distinct phases in the practical management of Public Private Partnerships of ‘Vision’, ‘Action’ and ‘Evolution’, each requiring different skills. The report also identifies a framework of ‘principles’ and ‘do’s and don’ts’ to guide each stage of the PPP process. While the authors emphasise that this should not be seen as ‘a blueprint for success’, they view the framework as pointing the way towards successful implementation of PPP aims.

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