He said there would be more one-to-one relationships between people and those who can help them such as teachers, nurses and advisors on welfare. He said there would be a growing role for the voluntary sector.
He said there would be more one-to-one relationships between people and those who can help them such as teachers, nurses and advisors on welfare. He said there would be a growing role for the voluntary sector.
He said the role of the private sector was expanding, and would continue to expand, in areas such as health. Independent treatment centres will have diagnosed a million people by April of next year, Mr Brown added.
He said the role of the private sector was expanding, and would continue to expand, in areas such as health. Independent treatment centres will have diagnosed a million people by April of next year, Mr Brown added.
A forum had been set up to encourage more private operators to come into the health sector, he said, while a review had begun of the overall role of the private sector in the National Health Service, which was valued at £22bn.
A forum had been set up to encourage more private operators to come into the health sector, he said, while a review had begun of the overall role of the private sector in the National Health Service, which was valued at £22bn.
Value-for-money would be the main test for independent healthcare providers at a local level as the capacity in the NHS was built up, he said.
Value-for-money would be the main test for independent healthcare providers at a local level as the capacity in the NHS was built up, he said.
Asked about efficiency targets, he said most Whitehall departments were being asked to make efficiency savings of 3%, a "big target" for them. But he said there was never any complacency about the need to cut budgets while ensuring that services were improved.
Asked about efficiency targets, he said most Whitehall departments were being asked to make efficiency savings of 3%, a "big target" for them. But he said there was never any complacency about the need to cut budgets while ensuring that services were improved.
Asked about changing technology, Mr Brown said Britain, along with other countries, was realising that "so much more" had yet to be done to improve the use of information technology in public services.
Asked about changing technology, Mr Brown said Britain, along with other countries, was realising that "so much more" had yet to be done to improve the use of information technology in public services.
Conservative MP Edward Leigh asked Mr Brown about "systemic failures" in the HM Revenue and Customs and whether the inquiry into the loss of CDs holding child-benefit data would be a good opportunity to review the workings of the department.
Conservative MP Edward Leigh asked Mr Brown about "systemic failures" in the HM Revenue and Customs and whether the inquiry into the loss of CDs holding child-benefit data would be a good opportunity to review the workings of the department.
The prime minister said it was important to recognise the difference between a single case of "rules not being followed" and whether the department was running more or less effectively since being created in place of the former Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise offices.
The prime minister said it was important to recognise the difference between a single case of "rules not being followed" and whether the department was running more or less effectively since being created in place of the former Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise offices.
"Nobody has lost any money" as yet following the loss of those discs, containing personal details - including bank account information - on some 25 million people, Mr Brown added.
"Nobody has lost any money" as yet following the loss of those discs, containing personal details - including bank account information - on some 25 million people, Mr Brown added.
On schools, he said the state-assisted scheme for school places had not worked in the past and there should be no return to it as the current system was working far better at turning around "failing" schools, he said.
On schools, he said the state-assisted scheme for school places had not worked in the past and there should be no return to it as the current system was working far better at turning around "failing" schools, he said.
He said the government was moving "further and faster" in areas such as social care, health and education. "The culture of the second-best is not acceptable to me. It is a culture of excellence that we must achieve," Mr Brown said, emphasising that failure would be "rooted out".
He said the government was moving "further and faster" in areas such as social care, health and education. "The culture of the second-best is not acceptable to me. It is a culture of excellence that we must achieve," Mr Brown said, emphasising that failure would be "rooted out".
On the global economy, he said "a better early-warning system" was needed to recognise "financial turbulence" in light of the uncertainty currently being felt.
On the global economy, he said "a better early-warning system" was needed to recognise "financial turbulence" in light of the uncertainty currently being felt.
He said he was proposing changes on a European level, saying an enormous amount of time had been spent looking at the institutional framework of a 27-member European Union, the prime minister said, and perhaps there had been an "over-emphasis" on areas such as constitutional affairs.
He said he was proposing changes on a European level, saying an enormous amount of time had been spent looking at the institutional framework of a 27-member European Union, the prime minister said, and perhaps there had been an "over-emphasis" on areas such as constitutional affairs.
Asked about constitutional changes proposed by Mr Brown, he said it was "essential" for citizens to be involved in discussions with the government about the major issues of the day.
Asked about constitutional changes proposed by Mr Brown, he said it was "essential" for citizens to be involved in discussions with the government about the major issues of the day.
"You cannot make decisions and assume that people will simply follow them. Most decisions can only be successful if people are part of the process."
"You cannot make decisions and assume that people will simply follow them. Most decisions can only be successful if people are part of the process."
Asked about the value of local government, Mr Brown said that people wanted more control over their affairs at a local level but not necessarily by having their own regional assemblies.
Asked about the value of local government, Mr Brown said that people wanted more control over their affairs at a local level but not necessarily by having their own regional assemblies.
Although they wanted the police and public services to be answerable to them, communities were organised in different ways and so it was not easy to have a blanket rule on how to hold such bodies to account.
Although they wanted the police and public services to be answerable to them, communities were organised in different ways and so it was not easy to have a blanket rule on how to hold such bodies to account.
Asked to define the main characteristics of "Britishness", Mr Brown said fairness, the sense of liberty and the recognition of appropriate behaviour were among the common values which held UK society together.
Asked to define the main characteristics of "Britishness", Mr Brown said fairness, the sense of liberty and the recognition of appropriate behaviour were among the common values which held UK society together.
In return for the right to be a British citizen - whether someone was born in the UK or moved from another country - people would have to accept certain responsibilities, the prime minister said.
A population the size of a country such as Brazil was moving around the world each year and it was only correct that certain conditions were laid down to those seeking citizenship or permanent residence in the UK, such as learning the English language, he added.
People should not forget the "shared identity" of the UK when talking about devolution and the option of an independent Scotland, Mr Brown said. When the Act of Union was signed in 1707, only 3% of Scots had relatives in England. Today that figure was 50%, he added.
"The bonds of belonging have strengthened over recent years," he said, suggesting that two-thirds of the population in Scotland and "large numbers" in Wales did not want to be independent from the rest of the UK.
The prime minister also cited a recent Sunday Telegraph poll suggesting that support in England for being part of a union was "very high indeed". He said that on an island, when dealing with issues such as the environment or terrorism, "the advantages of us working together are even clearer than in the past".
The issue of police pay was raised in the context of officers in Scotland getting a better pay deal this year than their colleagues in England. Mr Brown said public sector pay must be linked to "the state of the economy".
"I would love to pay the police more," he said, but no police officer would thank him if their pay rise was "wiped out" because "inflation was out of control".
When considering reforming Parliament's upper house, it should be remembered that "people were looking for a House of Lords that was accountable", while the House of Commons "remained the body regarded by the people as the more important part of the legislature", Mr Brown said.
Labour MP Tony Wright cited his party's 1992 manifesto which pledged fixed-term Parliaments, asking whether early elections should sometimes be called - a tongue-in-cheek reference to the widely expected poll which, in the end, was not called this year. Fixed-term Parliaments had not been policy since Labour lost the election 15 years ago, Mr Brown replied, laughing.
Turning to immigration, there would be far tougher measures to deal with those who came into the UK illegally, the prime minister said. There were far more people in the rest of the world looking to move to different countries - 200 million a year, he claimed - so it was important that a "points" system was introduced to let the UK choose who was allowed to work there, while bearing in mind its responsibilities as an EU member.
Extremist parties such as the British National Party had to be opposed "head on" and members exposed for the offensive views they held, Mr Brown said.
There were now more people - 29 million - working within the British economy than at any point in recent years, he said. There were 600,000 vacancies in the UK at present, with 200 companies who were ready to seek employees from those people who were "inactive" in terms of work. He said it was the government's duty to ensure that British people were encouraged to seek these roles.
