Fundamental change is taking place in the provision of welfare services in Britain. Government bureaucracies are losing their monopoly in such key areas as health, housing, community care and education. The Government agencies are increasingly acting as purchasers of services or as umbrellas for decentralised units. The command economy is being replaced by the quasi-market economy. This highly topical book assesses whether quasi-markets can deliver efficient and equitable public services and whether they represent a permanent break with the State’s traditional role of welfare provider.