This report from the Institute for Public Policy Research North analyses investments and outputs in the North East of England over the last decade. It shows that while public investment has resulted in improvements in the region, stark variations sub-regionally are preventing the North East from improving its regional standing relative to other regions.
The North East received the highest amount of public spending per person on public services in England in 2006/07, with the exception of London. 

There is to be a major review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communications needs. The review will be led by the Conservative MP John Bercow and its aim is to build on the improvements to speech and language therapy in the last decade. It will report next summer on how the best of current provision can be achieved in all parts of the country. 

Consultations on the idea of charging people according to the amount of rubbish they create have been branded a red herring by the New Local Government Network, which says councils need to begin a deeper conversation with local people on how to meet the long-term challenges of waste.