For many years, we have been able to deliver public services during economically-buoyant times. Now, we must provide more for less money and find innovative ways of doing this.

Those were the themes at a recent debate run by Surrey's public sector organisations as part of their ‘Have your say' campaign to help residents make suggestions on the future shape of public services. The majority of the 200-strong audience seemed to accept that their public bodies' funding would be heavily reduced, and their questioning covered what could be done to make as little adverse impact on services as possible.