Business plans show radical reform of public services
Over the last year major reforms have been made to key public services according to departmental business plans published today.
Department business plans set out priorities for the coming 12 months, specific reform actions departments will take and when, and expenditure for each remaining year of the spending review period.
The business plans have helped drive a significant shift in power from Whitehall to people and communities. Key actions over the next 12 months include:
- the Youth Contract, providing additional support worth almost £1 billion to young unemployed people over the next 3 years
- the Pupil Premium, providing schools with an extra £600 per pupil eligible for free school meals in 2012 to 2013, an increase from £488 in 2011 to 2012
- the next wave of Free Schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges to open by September 2012 and conversion of the worst underperforming primary schools to Academy status by December 2012
- introduction of a benefit cap so that no workless family can receive more in welfare than a working household’s median (post-tax) earnings
- personal health budget pilots across England this year, giving patients control and choice over the health services they use
- a Right to Bid, giving community organisations a fairer chance to save assets of importance to them, such as their village shop or the last remaining pub in the village, their community centre, children’s centre or community green spaces
- help to create the most competitive business tax system in the developed world by cutting corporation tax to the lowest rate in the G7; introduction of a Patent Box to encourage firms to innovate in Britain; and simplification of our tax system
Between the last publication in May 2011 and April this year, departments have completed 803 reform actions, out of a total of 892 that were due to be completed during the period.
Open formats
We are also improving the way that progress against the plans is reported.
The Business Plans section of the Number 10 website has been improved making the information clearer and easier to use.
Information will also be published in open data formats, so that third party tools will be able to present it in innovative new ways. The interactive website has been a popular way of accessing the Business Plans, with around 60,000 unique visitors in the past year.
Downloadable plans
The 2012 business plans and annexes for common areas of spend can also be downloaded below:
- Cabinet Office Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Communities and Local Government Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Culture, Media and Sport Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Education Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department of Energy and Climate Change Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department of Health Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for International Development Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Transport Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Department for Work and Pensions Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- HM Revenue & Customs Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- HM Treasury Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Home Office Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Ministry of Defence Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)
- Ministry of Justice Business Plan (PDF) and annexes (PDF)