This government loves setting targets. There are targets for everything they control and many things they do not.

There are three big problems with targets. The first is, it is embarrasing when you do not hit them. Many Ministers set them up to gain a headline, do nothing to ensure hitting them, and move on?? knowing they leave the mess for another. Sometimes the targets catch up with the very people who set them.

The second is, if you have too many targets it becomes impossible to hit them all. Indeed, some departments have taken delight in setting themselevs so many targets, they are bound to hit some whilst everyone realises they will not hit all. Ministers can then point to the ones they did hit and claim credit, even in the many cases where hitting the target had nothing to do with their intended actions.

The third is??targets can be in conflict with one another. The government is about to be taken to task - and even to court - for failing to meet its targets to cut "fuel poverty", and for failing to hit its target to cut carbon emissions. Unfortunately, getting more people out of "fuel poverty" means??supporting their incomes to allow??them burn more fuel, the opposite of what is needed to cut carbon emissions.

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