THE SCUNTHORPE ENTERPRIZE ZONE: AN EXAMPLE OF MUDDLED INTERVENTIONISM

The article examines the case of the Scunthorpe Enterprize Zone (EZ) and the extent to which it is consistent with the Conservative Government's emphasis on the market mechanism. It also looks at the likely impact of this EZ on the local and sub-regional economy. The article concludes by observing that Scunthorpe District Council was quick to take advantage of its EZ status, which has already generated a significant number of jobs for the town, but at the possible cost of jobs in other parts of the sub region. Finally the Scunthorpe case would appear to support the view that the implementation of the policy has been in contradiction to the original objectives of central Government.     

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PURCHASING PROCESS IN THE NHS: TOWARDS AN EXPLICIT POLITICS OF RATIONING?

The introduction of the internal market to the National Health Service in Britain marks a major change in the form of provision of health care interventions. This article reports the findings of independent research into the development of the purchasing process in eight purchasing authorities (which collectively purchase health care for 5 per cent of the population of Britain), and considers the extent to which this has led to an explicit politics of rationing in British health care. The structure and organization of purchasing organizations is described, along with their relationship with providers of health care. The ability of purchasing organizations to assess the health needs of the populations for which they purchase health care services, and their ability to influence change in the nature of the services provided, is also examined.     

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GANG AND NONGANG HOMICIDES*

Does gang-related homicide direr sufficiently from nongang homicide to warrant specialized law enforcement response? Both cross-tabular and discriminant analyses of data from over 700 homicide investigation files reveal substantial differences in ethnicity, age, number of participants, and relationship between participants. Gang homicides are also more likely to involve public areas, automobiles, firearms, and, in one jurisdiction, associated offenses and injury to other victims. Gang incidents present unique problems to investigators, who may well benefit from specialized skills of experienced gang experts.     

The Next 40 Years Will Be the Most Important in History

The solidarity of the G‐20 nations in staving off global financial crisis two years ago has deteriorated into a brawl over currency valuations, trade imbalances and sovereign debt, reflecting the great powershift from the West to the East and the emerging economies. In this section, we invited comments from historians, a former head of state who successfully navigated the Asian financial crisis and a prominent Chinese dissident.