Reforming Public Services by Regulation: A Partnership Approach?

This article examines the role of regulation in reforming public services in England and Wales. Specifically it analyses the impact of public service-regulation for two important elements of the present Labour Government's modernisation agenda: joined-up government and partnerships. The rhetoric of joined-up government and partnerships is strong in government pronouncements, and embraces not only collaborative working between public sector agencies but also collaborative working between public and private sector agencies in the delivery of public services. Local housing authorities and housing associations have worked togetherfor many years to provide social housing. However, these pioneers of public-private partnerships have been, and continue to be, subject to very different regulatory regimes affecting the way in which they operate. The article argues that more joined-up government not only necessitates partnership-working between policy-makers and service-providers, but also between the key regulatory agencies which oversee the delivery ofpublic services. There are dangers, however, that rivalry between regulatory agencies and regulatory capture may frustrate moves towards joined-up government. Joined-up government, therefore, requires joined-up regulation otherwise so-called "wicked problems " that spread across the joins of government are likely to remain unsolved or at best partially solved