Government plan to slash red tape

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Chief Secretary to the Treasury Andy Burnham indicated that the 110 public service agreements set by Whitehall departments could be cut to about 30.

And instead of committing public sector organisations to deliver specific goals - such as an increase in GCSE pass rates or reducing fear of crime by a set figure - the new targets are expected to use broader measures of public experiences of services.

The slimmed-down set of up to 30 public service agreements are expected to commit Whitehall departments to spend their budgets for the three years to 2010/11 according to Government goals.

Only a few precise national targets, such as the goal of cutting NHS waiting times to a maximum of 18 weeks by 2008, are thought likely to survive.

But most of the new agreements will allow local service chiefs in councils and NHS primary care trusts to set targets reflecting local needs and priorities.

Mr Burnham, who will set out the Government's thinking in a speech at King's College London on Thursday, said that ministers want to devolve more decision-making power to the frontline.

He told the Guardian newspaper: "This is the opening of a new chapter. If we get this right, the style of government will feel different. We want to give out a message of more trust in public bodies.

"We will avoid wherever possible the more crude approach of setting a one-size-fits-all target that is dropped down from on high.

"The direction of travel is for public services to look and feel differently in different parts of the country. We want them to face downwards and outwards, having a dialogue with their local communities rather than with the centre."