Quango reform: the next steps?

The coalition government elected in 2010 in the UK pursued a programme of quango reform focused on reducing the number and expenditure of arm’s-length bodies, increasing transparency, improving accountability and maximizing efficiency and effectiveness. This paper revisits Flinders and Skelcher’s 2012 Flinders, M. and Skelcher, C. (2012), Shrinking the quango state: five challenges in reforming quangos. Public Money &; Management, 32, 5, pp. 327–334.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] PMM paper ‘Shrinking the quango state: five challenges in reforming quangos’ to assess progress to date and consider future challenges. Drawing insights from the UK programme of quango reform, as well as similar developments in Ireland, the authors identify five new challenges for governments: regulating, managing, reconciling, co-ordinating and reflecting.     

Blurred vision: public trust in charities

Recent evidence that people's trust in charities is low holds serious implications for a sector that needs high levels of public confidence and support to thrive. This paper reports on qualitative focus group research initiated by the Third Sector Foresight Consortium on Trust, set up by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Henley Centre. Strong negative views about fundraising and marketing strategies, ‘fat cat’ salaries and fraud are only partially offset by favourable opinions of the aims and role of charities in society. There appears to be a ‘blurring’ of the voluntary sector's identity and boundaries in the public mind, with overlaps with the state and business sector threatening to obscure the distinctive character of charity and widespread suspicion of the abuse of charitable status. A consequent demand for greater openness and accountability focuses on information about charity finances and performance measurement. Suggestions for further research and strategies for the charity sector to respond to the findings conclude the paper. Copyright © 1999 Henry Stewart Publications     

Deaths of older Australians related to their use of motorised mobility scooters

This study describes motorized mobility scooter (MMS) rider-related fatalities in the older Australian population during the years 2000–2011, identified from the National Coronial Information System. Seventy-seven fatalities were identified, most aged 80 years or older (74.1%) and males predominated (76.6%). Most deaths (88.3%) resulted from collisions with motor vehicles or falling from the MMS. These findings are consistent with the reported morbidity data. Challenges to MMS case identification included lack of specification in reports to Coroners and inadequate codes. Improved specificity and coding are necessary to fully describe the extent of MMS-related injury. This study raises the issue of emerging largely unregulated consumer products. Further research is required to understand the uptake and use of MMS in the ageing population. Strategies are needed to decrease rider injuries whilst meeting community mobility needs.     

BUSH'S NEW DEAL

The current US policy of spreading democracy across the globe applies New Deal progressivism to a wider world. Like all government interventions, however, it has unintended consequences and is inefficient. The US should return to a more traditional conception of national security and leave the promotion of democratic principles to the private sector.     

Some simple economics of GM food

Public opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops (GM food) has not been based solely on concern about biological risks. Economic risks have been widely cited too: the fear that the world's food supply will be concentrated in the hands of a few large firms, the fear that such firms will engage or are already engaging in anti–competitive practices, and the fear of the transfer of ownership rights over genetic resources to the private sector. Are these fears justified? We argue that the GM food industry may be on course for further consolidation, and this could be anti–competitive. In fact, policymakers face a dilemma: a stringent regulatory approval process enhances food safety, but at the cost of increasing market concentration. We argue also that the integration of seed and agri–chemical manufacturers may bias the introduction of GM traits in undesirable directions. Some business practices (such as tie–in contracts between seeds and complementary products such as herbicides) may have an exclusionary motive that warrants scrutiny on anti–competitive grounds, while some other practices (such as the use of terminator genes) appear more benign. Finally, we argue against granting patents on genes or even on gene 'functions'. Doing so may delay the development of socially beneficial applications.