'Child Health' - Dawn Primarolo

Now - there’s an old Chinese proverb that says “a courtyard common to all, will be swept by none.” The implication, of course, is that we only care about the things we own. ‘Common to all’ in this context simply means ‘of value to no-one’. But, of course, not all courtyards go un-swept. Just as not all public parks are littered with rubbish, and not all town centres are plagued by graffiti. The vast majority of us actually value the things we share just as much, if not more so, than the things we own. Our communities - for instance - as well as our culture, language and friends. It is those ‘common courtyards’ that define us both as a society, and as individuals. Of course, much of what we do in the public sector falls into that category. Not only in the broad sense of working for every member of our communities. But also in the way we share responsibility for the delivery of services.