He is one of the principal architects of the UK Government's current ‘quasi-market’ reforms introducing choice and competition into health care and education. In addition, he originated and developed several innovative ideas in social policy, including one that became the ‘baby bond’ or Child Trust Fund, the Partnership Scheme for funding long term care endorsed by the 2005 Wanless Report Securing Good Care for Older People, the Educational Premium for the less well off and for looked after children, and the Social Care Practice in the 2006 Department for Education and SkillsGreen Paper, Care Matters.
Le Grand was one of the signatories of a letter published in The Guardian on 15 April 2008, which criticised the UK Government's "retreat in the face of a rightwing challenge over inheritance tax". Le Grand and his co-authors argued that inheritance tax "is one of the few tools which directly reduces inherited inequalities."[5]
In 2014 he was a member of the Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England for the King's Fund, chaired by Kate Barker which delivered its final report in September. He subsequently denounced the proposal of increasing NHS charges, which he described as a zombie idea.[6]
Honours
In 2006 Le Grand was awarded an honorary doctorate (D.Litt.) by the University of Sussex.