Harper's Crerar to lead public sector review

Professor Lorne Crerar to look at the regulation, auditing and inspection of services

News, 8 June 2006

The Scottish Executive is to look at what improvements can be made to the ways in which public sector services are inspected, regulated and audited.

The review will be chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar, managing partner of law firm Harper Macleod, and complements wider Executive initiatives to reform public services and ensure public money is used efficiently and effectively.

It will make a range of recommendations to streamline the current system and to ensure the scrutiny regime is delivering improved public services focused on the needs of the people who use them. It will also look at public sector complaints handling.

Minister for finance and public service reform Tom McCabe said: "There are concerns about potential duplication and overlap in the scrutiny sector and the burden on service providers. We understand and share those concerns - and that is why we are undertaking this review.

"The work Professor Crerar will undertake will help to ensure all scrutiny is streamlined and proportionate, and that compliance costs for service providers are minimised. The review will report back to ministers in 12 months."

Professor Crerar said: "The remit of the review is very wide ranging and I will ensure that it provides meaningful and purposeful recommendations in furtherance of the objectives set by the Executive."

Until recently, Professor Crerar was convener to the Standards Commission of Scotland, responsible for patrolling ethics in public life.