Provision of Services for the Public

Services for the Public are not equivalent to Public Services

What Services Should be Public

Historically, many services have started under Government control and moved to the private sector. Governments have, to meet community needs, provided services that would otherwise not be provided by individual enterprise for various reasons (whose justification can be always argued) such as:

  • Meets the needs of a minority group and not likely to be profitable.
  • Inherently controversial e.g. civil defence against nuclear war.
  • Inherently requires public control e.g. town-planning approvals.
  • Too expensive, risky or legally complex for business e.g. space exploration.

If the service becomes established, profitable (i.e. desired by a public prepared to pay) and uncontroversial, then it can be delivered:

  • Indirectly via an arms-length agency allowed to charge.
  • Via a consortium.
  • Via a private sector monopoly.
  • Via competing private sector firms.
  • Via the voluntary sector.
  • Some combination of the above.

Originally posted: August-2009; Last updated: 15-Nov-2010