File on 4 Investigates Folgen

With the Government's controversial reforms under fire from countryside campaigners, Allan Urry investigates radical changes to the planning system. Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed. But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built? Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood. But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration. Presenter Allan Urry Producer: Rob Cave.

Household gas and electricity bills are set to soar, leaving millions at risk of 'fuel poverty' and vulnerable to cold as winter approaches. The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices. Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow. Politically, attention is now focusing on the behaviour of the so-called Big Six energy companies which supply 99% of the gas and electricity used in British homes. The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'. It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers. It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather. And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits. Gerry Northam examines claims from some industry insiders that the Big Six are behaving as the banks did before the credit crunch - threatening economic recovery while believing they are too big to fail. Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

The Department of Health wants to slash £1.2 billion off the bill for hospital supplies -- everything from bandages and rubber gloves to operating tables and medical equipment.The planned savings form part of the £20 billion in NHS efficiency savings the Government has pledged to make by 2014. There's plenty of scope for savings. A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves. Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula. Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.But can the increasingly complex NHS procurement system in England deliver the major savings the Government wants to see?Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination. Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings. Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment. Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money. Jenny Cuffe investigates.Producer: Andy Denwood.