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On the scrapping of the audit commission, local government minister Bob Neill insisted it was justified.
He told Today: "This was a body that was behaving as a large corporate, but it's in the public sector, and in the current circumstances that was not acceptable."
Fair enough, you could say - until you realise that the latest, greatest good idea from the world of "why should I care, I've got a trust fund" is to put the work of the audit commission out to ...... the large corporates.
Phew, I'm mightily relieved that my taxes are going straight into their pockets. All this intermediary stuff was a waste
Sue
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The audit commission were very good at uncovering the sleazy underbelly of local politics, eg., the 'homes-for-votes' scandal in Westminster.
Truth is apparently something else that this 'austerity' government is privatising.
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Have they started privatising your prisons yet?
That's the best one. The profit motive for locking people up ...
Hey, *somebody* has to profit from government! Otherwise, why would anybody bother governing? Why not the people doing the profiting *and* the people checking up on them? ;)
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Amazingly, there are 11 privatised prisons in UK.
One (run by Group 4) was re-nationalised in the 1990's - I wonder how much that cost the tax payer!
Then there's Cameron's plan to use Experian to track down welfare cheats.
Apparently, fraud and administrative error accounts for an estimated £5.2bn of the £148bn benefits bill. Of this, £1.5bn a year is lost to fraud.
Much as I dislike benefit cheats, I'm surprised that the £3+bn lost to administrative error is acceptable!
Experian - who are they?
Wikipedia has a good description.
Founded in Nottingham and California in 1980, and taking over many other similar companies, in 2008, In January 2008 Experian announced that it would cut over 200 jobs at its Nottingham office as it moved development work to India to reduce costs.
Wiki also has quite a list of questionable business practices employed by Experian.
I've fallen foul of one. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, credit reporting companies have to provide consumers with one free copy of their credit report per 12 month period.
They offer a 'free' credit check online - but you have to give them a credit/debit card.
When I asked why - was told it was to 'confirm who you are'.
I told them I had neither type of card, nor a cheque book - so how could I apply. Apparently, I could send a Postal Order (like that 'proves' who I am!)
Well, by sending a postal order, or cheque, I'm paying!
When I've sorted out my (not very accurate) credit report - not the easiest or cheapest of things to do (see Wikipedia for their 'false' telephone numbers) I shall be reporting them to the relevant authority.
....and the government trusts this firm?........
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It gets better.
Philip Green has now been appointed as the guru of how to cut government spending.
Better known for partying with model Kate Moss and X Factor svengali Simon Cowell, as well as his business acumen, this man banked the biggest pay cheque in corporate history in 2005 when his Arcadia fashion business, which owns Topshop, paid a £1.2bn dividend. The record-breaking payment was paid to his wife, Tina, who lives in Monaco and is the direct owner of Arcadia. As a result, no UK income tax was due.
This arrangement is alleged to have saved the Green family £285 milllion in just one year, as the lovely Tina didn’t have to pay tax on the £1.2 billion dividend she received.
All perfectly legal, but what impact would that £285 million the government’s new efficiency adviser avoided paying have had in these straightened times?
In 2009, annual gross median pay in the public sector was £22,405 – that’s 12,720 public sector workers employed for a year had he paid all his taxes.
Just as well we don't have an audit commission. They could have had something to say about this!
Sue
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