WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
DECC: Will costly green power provide the energy security we need? - Keeping the lights on, consumers energy bills down & creating cleaner electricity to help tackle climate change, are the 3 goals of draft electricity market reform legislation published last week.
The reforms are designed to provide investors with transparency, longevity and certainty in order to attract £110bn of investment to bring forward new low-carbon power generation for the 21st Century. Over the next decade, around a fifth of existing power generating capacity will come off-line.
The reforms are designed to provide investors with transparency, longevity and certainty in order to attract £110bn of investment to bring forward new low-carbon power generation for the 21st Century. Over the next decade, around a fifth of existing power generating capacity will come off-line.
Gas will continue to play an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, to provide flexibility and help maintain security of supply. A separate strategy on the role of gas will be published in autumn 2012.
Press release & links ~ Written Ministerial Statement: Draft Energy Bill (Pre-Legislative Scrutiny) ~ ScotGov comment on electricity market reform ~ TUC welcomes Energy Bill ~ 'Clock is ticking' - CBI responds to draft Energy Bill ~ EU News: Commission adopts rules on national support for industry electricity costs in context of the EU ETS ~ JRF - Urgent action needed to ensure communities benefit from wind farm development ~ CCC's response to draft Energy Bill ~ PX: The Full Cost to Households of Renewable Energy Policies ~ Guardian: Gas 'fracking' gets green light ~ Telegraph: Gas fracking will revolutionise the US economy
BIG: It has been over a 100 years since the last one, so its time to celebrate again - A wet spring has failed to dampen the spark in communities across the nation as preparations to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee hot up. Recently, the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) announces a wave of grants totalling more than £292k to enable 63 projects to bring out the bunting & hold events such as street parties, Big Lunches, tea dances and music festivals over the Jubilee weekend (June 2-5).
Press release & links ~ HSE: Don't let the ‘jobsworths’ jeopardise jubilee celebrations ~ FSA: Street parties without red tape ~ MoD: Brewing up in some foreign fields! (5th item) ~ CO: Recognising service to communities (7th item) ~ DCMS: 60 years of 'Have you come far' (8th item) ~ TfL issues travel advice to enable London to celebrate The Queen's Diamond Jubilee ~ ScotGov: Queen's Jubilee ~ Eric Pickles: Celebrating the Jubilee in all communities ~ NE: Diamond Jubilee beacons guidance for land managers ~ BP: 5 June events announced ~ Diamond Jubilee window unveiled ~ Extended hours to celebrate the diamond jubilee ~ Civic Honours competition results announced ~ NA: New online display of rarely seen Victorian Jubilee records
DfE: Time for action, not talk - Professor Eileen Munro, author of the Government’s review of the child protection system, last week said a ‘culture change’ was underway in the child protection system but outlined an urgent need to now accelerate reforms to create a more child-centred system.
She said reforms had reached a ‘watershed moment’ but, while progress is moving in the right direction, it now needs to move faster with more prescription & bureaucracy stripped away so social workers are able to focus on giving children and young people the help they need. Professor Munro said social workers must be confident to use their judgment instead of applying rules that do not match a specific child’s needs.
Press release ~ Munro review progress report: Moving towards a child-centred system ~ DfE: Safeguarding Children ~ Good practice by Local Safeguarding Children Boards ~
HMT: ‘Off payroll appointments’ ruled ‘offside’ - New tighter rules governing ‘off payroll’ appointments in central government will be brought in this year, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has announced. The action comes after a review of Government departments and their arm’s length bodies revealed that over 2,400 key public sector appointees have been engaged off payroll, in some cases for more than 10 years.
The Government has also published a consultation (closes on 16 August 2012) on the Budget proposal that all ‘controlling persons’ must by law be on the payroll of the engaging organisation. The Government believes that where an individual is in a position to control the major activities of an organisation, but is engaged through an intermediary, rather than on the payroll, the engaging organisation must be able to be confident that the individual is meeting their tax obligations.
Press release & links ~ Consultation into the Taxation of Controlling Persons ~ HMRC: Chief Secretary to the Treasury's review ~ FDA: One needs sufficient ‘gamekeepers’ to minimise ‘poaching’ (4th item)
BIS: This was always going to be a non-starter with Vince - Business Secretary Vince Cable has issued a statement on the publication of the Beecroft report.
Press release & links ~ Less red tape means more jobs, says IoD ~ Red Tape Challenge: Employment Law
TKF: Time for a new model NHS? - A year-long review carried out by The King's Fund argues that a new style of leadership in the NHS could deliver lower mortality, better patient experience & outcomes, and financial savings. The review builds on last year’s ‘The future of leadership and management in the NHS: No more heroes’ report, which criticised political attacks on the role of NHS managers.
It argues that the NHS should move away from the predominant ‘pace-setting’ style of leadership based on meeting targets and makes a compelling business case for a new model of leadership based on stronger engagement between staff, clinicians and patients.
Drawing on 8 commissioned papers and numerous submissions, the review highlights the links between organisational performance and leaders who engage staff, patients & others in improving care.
Press release ~ RTKH report: Leadership & engagement for improvement in the NHS (plus supporting papers) ~ WAG: Health Minister launches new workforce framework ~ Working Differently – Working Together ~ NICE: Integration 'key' to managing public health transition ~ DH: Greater integration of health care has led to improved care processes, more satisfied staff and reduced use of hospitals ~ Hospital boards must ‘let go’ to realise benefits of service-line management
HO: Because children ‘age’ faster than adults - The Identity & Passport Service has reminded parents planning summer holidays to check their children’s passports as well as their own before booking travel. Children’s passports only last 5 years, not 10 like adults’, so parents are advised to make sure they aren’t caught out at the last minute.
Passports for under-16s can take up to 6 weeks to process and, with the busy period for passport demand already underway, it is important to leave plenty of time if they need renewing. Parents needing to renew a child’s passport in a rush can use IPS’s 1-day Premium Service and 1-week Fast Track service.
WAG: Attention potential Educational ‘Yodas’ - Education Minister Leighton Andrews has announced that the Welsh Government is seeking mentors for the new Masters in Education Programme (MEP).
From September 2012 Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) will have the opportunity to follow a Masters Programme as part of Induction and Early Professional Development. The development opportunity will provide a unique experience and will have long lasting benefits for the mentors, their schools and newly qualified teachers.
From September 2012 Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) will have the opportunity to follow a Masters Programme as part of Induction and Early Professional Development. The development opportunity will provide a unique experience and will have long lasting benefits for the mentors, their schools and newly qualified teachers.
HEFCE: Last chance to inject new blood into clinical academics - Round three of the Senior Clinical Lectureship Awards opened for nominations last week. This is the third & final round of a scheme funded by the Higher Education Funding Council England and local NHS trusts to support Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and Healthcare Scientists. The deadline for submissions is 1 August 2012.
FSA: Opportunity to become future expert in foodborne disease & food safety - The Food Standards Agency and the Royal Veterinary College are inviting veterinary graduates to apply for a scholarship to undertake a 3-year residency programme in veterinary public health.
The successful candidate will receive training in all aspects of veterinary epidemiology and its application to the study of foodborne disease & food safety. They will also undertake either the MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health or the MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology. Applications by 31 may 2012.
The successful candidate will receive training in all aspects of veterinary epidemiology and its application to the study of foodborne disease & food safety. They will also undertake either the MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health or the MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology. Applications by 31 may 2012.
LGA: Stop the desecration of memorials: Metal theft is not a ‘petty crime’ - The Local Government Association is holding a national event for councils on 15 June 2012 entitled ‘Licensing scrap metal dealers: councils' role in fighting metal theft’ – See ‘Legislation/Legal’ section for more information
Latest White Paper - Why Change Programmes in Public Services Fail – A Step by Step Guide for Organisations - Public services are seeing a range of change programmes coming into force, however it seems that many miss some of the fundamental elements needed to ensure that change is collaborative, measured and structured.
With redundancy programmes widespread, departments are having to initiate positive change programmes to ensure that with decreasing budgets and staff, they still maintain and exceed the required high level of service quality to all its stakeholders.
Recent reports expect that some £3.4 billion will be spent on change management programmes over the coming year. Although this figure includes both private and public organisations, the core messages are important for all public sector organisations to take to heart.
This latest white paper provides a step by step guide to navigating the change process, enabling you to examine your organisation, designing the process that is best for you.
Click here below to download your free copy and discover ‘Why Change Programmes in Public Services Fail – A Step by Step Guide for Organisations’:
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