Understanding the Public Services Industy

Public Services Industry Review
Foreword by SoS John Hutton
The Government is committed to the delivery of world class public
services for all, and over the past decade has made substantial
investments in order to realise this vision. Although many public
services are rightly provided exclusively by the public sector,
increasingly both central and local government, including devolved
administrations, are engaging and working in partnership with private
and third sector providers to find ways of ensuring our goals of
excellent, fair and cost effective public services are achieved.
The aim of the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform is to work to ensure
business success in an increasingly competitive world. Given the emergence of a significant
Public Service Industry, it is important that we examine how we can support the success and
development of this industry both here in the UK and in overseas markets.
Recognising this, I was pleased to announce the launch of this Review last December and
I am very grateful to Dr. DeAnne Julius for agreeing to lead this work. Ensuring that we
have a thorough understanding of how we engage with the private and third sectors is
critical to getting the best results for both those working in the industry and for consumers
and taxpayers.
Dr Julius’s review has highlighted the fact that the Public Services Industry is not only a
dynamic sector which makes a significant contribution to the UK economy, but is also a
world leader in many areas. It has looked at what has made the industry successful and
made recommendations as to what more the government can do, as a policy maker,
regulator and procurer to ensure that its full potential can be realised for the benefit of
the public.
I very much welcome Dr. Julius’s analysis. I will be working with colleagues across
government over the next few months to consider the recommendations she has made
and explore how they can be translated into a tangible programme of action in order to
ensure that the benefits from engaging with and supporting this important industry are
fully achieved.
Rt. Hon. John Hutton MP
Secretary of State for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform