ABSTRACT
This essay considers some of the changes which have taken place in the delivery of public services in the UK. Recent years have seen privatisation, contracting out, and the Citizen’s Charter Programme (H.M. Government, 1991; Barron and Scott, 1992; Freedland, 1994; Lewis, 1993; Vincent-Jones, 1994; Willett, 1992; Willett and Rawlings, 1994; Willett, 1996). These processes have been supported by new regulatory systems and institutions. My aim here is to show how the new public sector has become infused with many features of contract and contract thinking. I will consider these facets of the new regime in the context of consumer expectations and ‘social rights’. By ‘social rights’ I mean a reasonable level of access to essential services; participation and/or consultation in decisions about services; and decent treatment as a user of services.
