Government. The Government is formed by the party with majority support in the Commons

The Government is formed by the party with majority support in the Commons. The Queen appoints its leader as Prime Minister. As head of the Government the Prime Minister appoints about 100 ministers, of whom about 20 are in the Cabinet - the senior group which takes major policy decisions. Ministers are collectively responsible for government decisions and individually responsible for their own departments. The second largest party forms the official Opposition, with its own leader and “shadow cabinet”. The Opposition has a duty to challenge government policies and to present an alternative programme.

Policies are carried out by government departments and executive agencies staffed by politically neutral civil servants. They serve the government of the day regardless of its political complexion. Over half the Civil Service - or about 295,000 civil servants – work in over 75 executive agencies. Agencies perform many of the executive functions of government, such as the payment of social security benefits and the issue of passports and drivers licenses. They are headed by chief executives who are personally responsible for the performance of the agency and enjoy considerable freedom on financial, pay and personnel matters.

Citizens’ Charter

Important new proposals to raise standards in the public services were out in the Citizens’ Charter, which was published by the Government in 1991. The proposals, which cover all public services and privatised utilities, involve more privatisation, wider competition, further contracting – out and pay, are more closely related to performance. They also include requirements for published standards of service and results achieved, comprehensive information on services, consultation with users of services, better redress for the citizen when things go wrong, and tougher and more independent inspectorates and auditing. All major public services are expected to publish separate charters, and so far some 19 have done so.