A Happy New Year to all Wired-GOV and WGPlus subscribers. The next issue of WGPlus will be broadcast on Monday, January 8th 2007.
Operation Paget: Heavy reading for conspiracy theorists - The report into the allegation of conspiracy to murder Diana, Princess of Wales and Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed has been published.
The Overview document has 9 pages of text. Please be aware the full report has over 800 pages and may take a while to download.
Press release ~ Operation Paget Overview ~ Operation Paget Report ~ BBC News item
NAO: It sounds a lot, but in reality it only represents a ‘drop in the ocean’ - The National Audit Office has reported on OGCbuying.solutions, an executive agency of the Office of Government Commerce which provides procurement services to the public sector, achieving value for money savings of £412 million in 2005-06 (up 71% from 2003-04).
The report found that there is significant potential to increase value for money savings and that, given its potential to exert significant buying power, OGCbuying.solutions should aim for its prices to be in the lowest 25% of public sector prices by:
· securing greater volume commitment from customers when letting new framework agreements
· reviewing its prices more regularly with suppliers
· using eAuctions where applicable and
· minimising the cost to suppliers of dealing with OGCbuying.solutions
However, 63% of central civil government and 73% of wider public sector customers did not consider that OGCbuying.solutions consulted them enough, which probably explains why the report found that spending through OGCbuying.solutions represents:
· only 5% of central government procurement spending and
· under 1% of total procurement spending for the wider public sector
The report highlights the need for greater co-ordination between the public sector bodies carrying out procurement to avoid duplication of effort and to signpost where to find the best deals. This, combined with a remodelled OGCbuying.solutions, has the potential to increase savings by up to £660 million a year.
Press release ~ Full Report (1.6Mb) ~ Executive summary ~ Central government survey ~ Wider public sector and non-customer survey ~ NAO ~ OGCbuying.solutions ~ Office of Government Commerce ~ Supply2Gov ~ Public procurement and Race Equality ~ Reform of Public procurement in Scotland ~ OFT: Assessing the impact of public sector procurement on competition ~ Social Enterprise Coalition – Public Procurement ~ Innovation and Public Procurement ~ DTI – Public procurement ~ Using public procurement to drive skill and innovation ~ Local Government International Bureau ~ Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply
DTI: WEEE deadline means Producers & Retailers have to sign up for compliance - Producers of electrical goods will from July 2007 be required to meet the environmental costs of dealing with waste products under new rules published this week - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations - and all companies who import, manufacture and rebrand electrical & electronic equipment will have to finance its treatment, recovery and environmentally safe disposal.
By
The Directive introduces producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE):
· Producers will have to finance treatment and recycling/recovery of separately collected WEEE in the
· Retailers have an obligation to offer take-back services to householders
· The Directive does not place any obligations on householders and they will be not be prohibited from throwing WEEE away with general domestic rubbish
Further regulations will be laid early in the New Year to allow for producers to be charged for the collection, treatment and recycling of WEEE containing hazardous substances (for example CRTs, refrigerants and gas discharge lamps) that are sent to local authority sites between the 1 April and 30 June 2007.
These charges will be used to reimburse local authorities who separately collect & arrange the treatment and reprocessing of hazardous WEEE. (DTI currently reimburses local authorities via new burdens payments for this activity).
Press release ~ DTI - EC Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) ~ Defra – WEEE Producer Responsibility ~ Guidance on Best Available Treatment Recovery and Recycling Techniques (BATRRT) and treatment of Waste ~ Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) - November 2006 ~ WEEE Regional Roadshows ~ Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations ~ Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 ~ Valpak Retail WEEE Services
NAO: Can't afford them, but can't live without them - Central government spent around £1.8 billion on consultancy in 2005-06, according to new figures published by the National Audit Office, while total public sector spending on consultants is estimated at around £2.8 billion for 2005-06.
While there has been a reduction of spending in some departments (mainly the DWP, DTI and MoD), spending on consultants across the public sector has risen by 33% between 2003-04 and 2005-06, largely because of increased spending in the NHS.
The main finding is: ‘There have been improvements in using consultants, but there is some way to go before good value for money is achieved overall’ and the NAO found that departments, for the most part, do not:
· make a proper assessment of whether internal resources could have been used instead of consultants
· collect adequate information on their use of consultants to understand better the benefits they bring
· actively engage with key consulting firms to understand how they work
· plan for & carry out the transfer of skills from consultants to internal staff to build internal capabilities
Press release ~ Full Report ~ Executive Summary ~ Building client and consultant commitment ~ Market Analysis ~ Methodology ~ Catalist: Interim Management Services ~ OGC: Programmes and Projects ~ Government IT Profession ~ Professional Skills for Government ~ Using the contract to maximise the likelihood of successful project outcomes (1.1Mb) ~ Contracting strategies tool ~ Delivering successful IT-enabled business change – Executive Summary ~ Chief Information Officer Council ~ OGC Gateway Review process ~ NAO: Improving IT procurement: The impact of the Office of Government Commerce's initiatives on departments and suppliers in the delivery of major IT-enabled projects ~ BCS: The Challenges of Complex IT Projects
FCO: Was it ‘greener grass’ or for some other reason - The FCO have announced that the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) have released a report that looks at the scale & nature of British emigration. Lord Triesman, Foreign Office Minister for Consular Affairs, welcomed the report, saying: "When the FCO agreed to sponsor this piece of research we had several aims in mind.
The first was to validate our estimate that there are up to 13 million British nationals living overseas and to clarify their whereabouts…….. We now also have a reliable indication of where many of them are and how old they are.
Our second aim was to learn more about emigration trends, to help our future consular planning and strategy, including crisis management.
Our third aim was to promote discussion among as wide a group of stakeholders as possible on the role of the Government in responding to the needs of this growing group. The IPPR report raises a number of interesting issues, many of which will be discussed at a workshop with stakeholders on 1 February 2007 (more details of this will follow in due course).
…… What we can, and can't, do for British nationals resident abroad is spelled out in the Guide to Support for British nationals Abroad ……………. Specific advice & guidance is contained in a range of publications, available from the FCO via its website or at Posts overseas. There is also a great deal of useful material on the DirectGov website."
Ippr’s report shows that almost one in ten Britons now lives abroad, that a British national emigrates every three minutes and it predicts that another one million Brits will move abroad over the next five years. On top of the 5.5 million Brits now living abroad on a long-term basis (equivalent to 9.2% of the UK population), there are a further 500,000 Brits living overseas for part of the year.
The report identifies the ‘inability to speak the local language’ as one of the biggest barriers to settling into an overseas community.
Press release ~ Brits Abroad: Mapping the scale and nature of British emigration (scoll down for free summary pdf) ~ BBC – Brits Abroad ~ Beyond Black and White ~ BBC – Born Abroad ~ Institute for Public Policy Research ~ FCO ~ Support for British Nationals Abroad: a Guide ~ Summary version ~ Going to live abroad ~ Other Related publications (scroll down) ~ Know before you go ~ Directgov – Living Abroad
DWP: A way of cutting Pension Credit or ensuring a financially secure retirement? - The government has released its plans for workers to be given an easy way to save for their future (complete with an employer contribution and tax relief) under new proposals published for consultation (closes on 20 March 2007) in the Government's White Paper - Personal accounts: a new way to save.
Up to 10 million people will be automatically enrolled into personal accounts, with a guaranteed employer contribution of at least 3%, in a move that the government hopes will kick-start a new savings culture in the UK and see millions of people saving around £8 billion annually into personal accounts.
The White Paper also revealed that the Government has decided the NPSS model proposed by the Pensions Commission is the best way to deliver personal accounts because of its simplicity and low cost.
Press release ~ White Paper: Personal accounts: a new way to save ~ Consultation arrangements ~ Regulatory Impact Assessment ~ DWP – Pensions and retirement ~ Pensions Bill ~ Pensions Commission ~ DWP - NPSS ~ Which? - NPSS model
Defra: Just smell that air! - The National Air Quality Information Archive website has been re-launched following its redesign. The site, which is now claimed to be more user friendly, contains a huge amount of data on air quality in the
· current
· current
· current
· variances in pollution levels across the country
· major periods of elevated pollution (so called pollution 'episodes')
· assessments of long-term trends
· social aspects of air pollution in the
· published, web and media sources for information on the DfES: Lord Dearing has published his interim
report on languages and the provisional proposals will be subject to extensive
consultation with school heads, teachers and other stakeholders before he makes
his final recommendations in February
2007. The interim findings
include: ·
Languages should become a standard
part of the National Primary SchoolCurriculum ·
The GCSE Languages specification
should be revised to make it more relevant & engaging for young people and
the oral part of the GCSE also needs to be reviewed ·
FONT>
There should be
informal classroom assessment using the Languages Ladder at the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11) and the Ladder
should be used to assess pupil's language skills at the end of Key Stage
3 ·
FONT>
Schools should be
given more freedoms to offer languages alongside major EU
languages Press release ~
Languages Review Consultation Report December
2006 ~ <
FONT color=#800080 size=2>Open consultation: The Languages
Review (closes 31
January 2007) ~ Languages Ladder Assessment Scheme ~ Languages Ladder:
Asset Languages ~ 'Languages for All: Languages for Life, A Strategy for
England' ~ National Qualifications Framework ~ Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages ~ DfES Languages website ~ The
National Advisory Centre for Early Language Learning
website Scottish Executive: Almost
40% of routine applications from people to extend or alter their homes can be
taken out of the planning system entirely, according to new research in
The Executive-commissioned research by a team
led by ·
FONT>
97% of householder
developments are approved ·
FONT>
They make up one
third of all appeals and more than half of all enforcement cases
·
FONT>
Most do not raise
issues significant enough to warrant restrictive conditions on a planning
permission.
·
FONT>
In general, the
level of scrutiny of the planning system of such development is
disproportionate to the environmental risks involved
Press release ~
Review of the General Permitted
Development order 1992: Householder Report ~ Planning Helpline ~ Scottish Executive – Planning & Building ~
Modernising the Planning System ~
Planning Aid Scotland DTI: A pioneering programme,
putting The consortium, led by Airbus UK developing
the new wing concept fit for 2020 & beyond will have
particular focus on sustainable air travel with more efficient wings meaning
reduced fuel burn, emissions and noise. Press release ~
NATS - National Aerospace Technology Strategy ~
Integrated Wing Aerospace Programme ~ Airbus UK ~ Aerospace
Technology Steering Group ~ Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team ~ The future of flying is batwing ~ ParcAberporth MoD: Defence Minister Lord Drayson has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the next phase of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme
with the JSF is a stealthy, multi-role combat aircraft
which will be a key component of the
'Operational sovereignty' is defined
as the Press release ~
Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) programme ~ JSF UK
Industry Team ~ Lockheed Martin UK Programmes - Joint Strike Fighter
(JSF) DfES: Schools Minister Andrew Adonis has
announced that CfBT Education Trust
will manage The programme aims to achieve significant,
measurable improvement in the attainment, aspirations, motivation and
self-esteem of gifted & talented learners, especially those at risk of
underachieving and those from disadvantaged
backgrounds. As a not-for-profit organisation, CfBT re-invests around £1million of its
surpluses every year for practice-based educational research. Its appointment as managing contractor
of the NPGATE programme was the result of a structured offering formed in
partnership with Hedra, CACI and TwoFour
Communications. Press release ~
CfBT Education
Trust ~ Hedra ~ CACI ~ TwoFour Communications ~ Standards Site – Gifted & Talented ~
National
Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) DfT: The Department for Transport has
announced that it has reinstated the franchise agreement with Virgin Rail Group to operate services
on the West Coast Main Line. This
replaces the 'Letter Agreement' that was put in place in 2002 following
the failure of Railtrack to deliver previously agreed improvements to the main
line. Benefits due to be delivered to passengers
included: ·
FONT>
50% increase in
frequency in ·
FONT>
A further 30
minutes reduction in ·
FONT>
·
FONT>
Hourly services
all day between ·
FONT>
Improvement in
weekend services Press release ~
Virgin Trains ~ DfT West Coast Main
Line HC: Healthcare watchdogs have called for
action to address inconsistent standards of care provided by substance misuse
services across The Government estimates drug misuse costs
between £10 billion and £18 billion a year and it is clear it affects the life
of the individual, the families and the communities they live
in. The review assessed whether local services
prescribed drugs safely and planned treatment & coordinated services
appropriately. It highlighted
several areas of concern where there are variations in the quality of care
across Press release ~
Improving services for substance misuse: a joint
review ~
National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) ~
Drug action teams
(DATs) ~ Drug Interventions
Programme ~ Drug Strategy ~ Race and Diversity strategy ~ DH Substance Abuse website
~ Treatment Works
website ~ Staff development toolkit for drug
and alcohol services ~ DrugScope ~ Drug
and Alcohol Action Programme ~ Crime reduction tool kits – Communities against
drugs ~ Talk to Frank ~ Standards for Substance Misuse Services in
Scotland ~ 'Hidden Harm - Next Steps' ~
Effective Interventions Unit An exploration of the role of
substance misuse nurses in Scotland
DWP: Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton
has set out proposals to replace the Child Support Agency with a
new organisation to ‘deliver a different
system of child maintenance’.
Led by a new Commissioner for
Child Maintenance, the government hopes that a Child Maintenance and Enforcement
Commission (C-MEC) would deliver a simpler & more effective way of
assessing, collecting & enforcing child maintenance The new Commission is one of the proposals
set out in the Government's new White Paper - A new system of child
maintenance, which contains proposals to ‘empower & incentivise parents to make private agreements where
possible, but with the confidence that C-MEC will have the powers to establish
arrangements and enforce payments where they cannot agree’. Following legislation, the Commission should
be in
place from 2008 and would provide a
public face to reinforce the accountability of
C-MEC. Press release ~
White Paper: A new system of child maintenance ~
Summary Version ~ Sir David Henshaw's report ~
Government response to Henshaw ~
CSA
Q&As ~ Summary of the findings
of Stephen Geraghty's review and Operational Improvement
Plan Defra: As part of the Government's
programme to reduce red tape, Defra have published their second
Simplification Plan, 'Maximising Outcomes, Minimising
Burdens', which is intended to demonstrate its continued commitment to
tackling administrative burdens across the agriculture and rural affairs
sector. Press release ~
'Maximising Outcomes, Minimising
Burdens' (scroll down) ~
<
FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Cabinet Office – Cross Government Simplification
Initiative ~ Better regulation
Commission ~ Regulation - Less is More. Reducing Burdens, Improving
Outcomes DTI: The next step in the
Government's drive to increase microgeneration has begun with the opening
of Phase 2 of the DTI's Low Carbon
Buildings Programme (LCBP). Interested parties can apply online at the dedicated Phase 2 website. The second phase of the LCBP will provide £50
million in grants over the next 18 months to help fund the installation of
micropower technologies such as solar panels, micro wind-turbines and ground
source heat pumps on schools, ‘not for profit’ and public sector
buildings.
Press release ~
LCBP Phase 2 ~ Building Research
Establishment consultancy ~ DTI Microgeneration ~
Review of PPS 22
~ Renewable
Energy Association ~ Microgeneration Strategy: Power from the
people ~ Energy Efficiency: The Government’s Plan for
Action ~ Energy Performance of Buildings
Directive ~ Low or Zero Carbon Energy Sources - Strategic Guide
(Interim Publication) DfES: A new drive to cut crime by getting
offenders into training & jobs has been announced by Education and Skills
Secretary Alan Johnson with £500,000 funding for pilot schemes in two regions
to ‘drive forward reforms to improve
offenders skills and jobs prospects to stop them re-offending’. The announcement is part of the
Government's Next Steps
document, which implements actions following on from last year's green
paper Reducing Re-Offending Through
Skills and Employment. Under the proposals, more help will be given
to offenders who show they are prepared to take action to turn away from crime
and employers will be encouraged to start offender job schemes. Offenders undertaking training will be
offered interviews and employers will get extra support to give work trials
leading to jobs. Press release ~
'Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment: Next
Steps' ~ Green Paper: Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and
Employment ~ Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan ~ Related documents ~ Offender Learning
and Skills Service (OLASS) ~ Learning and Skills
Council ~ Corporate
Alliance ~ Faith and Voluntary
Sector Alliance ~ Civic Society
Alliance ~ National
Offender Management Service Cabinet Office: The Government response to the
independent report by Bernard Herdan -
'The Customer Voice in Transforming Public Services' - has been
published and the Government claims to fully support the main recommendation in
the report that a new national standard for customer service
should be developed which is based on the
key drivers of satisfaction. The report focused on the need for public
services to develop the necessary skills to enable them to be more
citizen-centred and responsive. All Charter Mark holding organisations have
been informed of the publication of the Government's Response and
interested stakeholders and Charter Mark holders are invited to email their
comments on the Government's Response to cmreviewteam@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk. Press release ~
Response to 'The Customer Voice
in Transforming Public Services' ~ The Customer Voice in Transforming Public
Services ~ Cabinet Office: Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus
O'Donnell, made clear that ‘there
could be no slowing down of the Civil Service reform programme’ as he
published Capability Reviews for three
more departments including his own, the Cabinet Office and announced the creation of a new Civil Service Steering
Board. Reviews for the Departments of Trade and Industry and
Communities and Local Government
were also published alongside a summary paper on the key themes emerging from all of the Reviews so
far. He also announced three major
cross Government initiatives: ·
FONT>
Formation of a new
Civil Service Steering Board to oversee the implementation of, for example, the
work of David Varney on service transformation, the need to drive
sustainability and employee
relations. ·
FONT>
A radical overhaul
of the unit of the Cabinet Office responsible for civil service
skills ·
FONT>
A review to
determine how the Cabinet Office is best deployed in the management of the
civil service and to work out what is best done centrally and what is best done
by departments Press release ~
Capability reviews ~ Common themes and
Summaries ~
NAO Efficiency Toolkit ~ NAO: Progress
in improving government efficiency DCLG: The government has published measures
intended to ‘help to reduce carbon
emissions and bring innovation to the building industry by tackling climate
change at the heart of the planning system and the way we build new homes’
I>. Currently, the energy used to
heat, light and run our homes accounts for 27% of all of the
Energy efficient & insulated buildings,
which draw their energy from zero or low carbon technologies and therefore
produce no net carbon emissions from all energy use over the course of a year,
will help reduce carbon emissions as well as lowering fuel bills for
households. The overall strategy
is set out in the consultation document - Building a Greener
Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development The Government has also launched a joint
consultation on regulations to set minimum standards for water efficiency in
new homes and new commercial buildings.
The government claims that by installing products such as low flush
toilets & water efficient taps in new homes, household consumption could be
reduced by 15-20%, with equivalent savings in new offices &
shops. Press release ~
Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable
Development ~ Consultation - Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change -
Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 (Consultation closes 8 March 2007) ~ Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon
Development (Consultation closes 8 March
2007) ~
Code for Sustainable Homes ~ Minimum standards for water efficiency in new homes and new
commercial buildings (Consultation closes 9 March 2007) ~ Defra – Water conservation ~ Stern
Review ~ Home
Builders Federation ~ WWF ~ Sustainable Development ~ Sustainable
Development Commission ~ Centre for Sustainable Energy ~ Review of the Sustainability of Existing Buildings: the
Energy Efficiency of Dwellings - Initial Analysis ~ Energy Saving Trust ~
Carbon Trust ~ Sample Energy Performance Certificate
(EPC) ~ Sustainable Homes ~ EU Directive on the energy performance of
buildings
~ EU Building Performance Directive Implementation Advisory
Group (DIAG) OFT: The OFT has signalled its intention to
refer the supply of airport services by BAA to the Competition Commission (CC) for more
detailed investigation. The
conclusion is provisional and the OFT now invites comments (by The OFT market study findings
include: ·
FONT>
evidence of poor
customer satisfaction ·
FONT>
BAA's Scottish
airports are not price regulated and charges to airlines are higher than
Gatwick & Stansted ·
FONT>
·
FONT>
the study also
found further evidence that competition between independently owned airports -
such as Press release ~
OFT report
(VLF 2.8Mb) ~ BAA ~ Competition Commission (CC) ~ CAA - Airports
Regulator ~ Airports Council
International ~ Transport Research
Laboratory ~ CAA study: An Economic
Assessment of the Impacts of Granting Fifth-Freedom Rights to Passenger
Services from UK Regional Airports ~
DfT Aviation
website ~ Public experiences of and
attitudes to air travel ~ Civil Aviation Act 2006
~ The Future of Air Transport -
White Paper and the Civil Aviation Bill Defra: Defra has launched a consultation
exercise (closes This type of approach is intended to provide
opportunities for improved regulation and reduce the regulatory burden in the
future. The government claims that
industry will benefit from an increased involvement in the decision making
process in this area which should result in a greater ability to respond &
deliver efficient solutions in the future. Press release ~
Consultation documents ~ UK Responsibility and Cost Sharing Consultative
Forum ~ DCA: A consultation (closes
The consultation follows a ruling by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of
Human Rights (ECtHR) after a tariff-expired life sentence prisoner (that is
one who had become eligible for parole or early release) successfully
challenged the United Kingdom's current
arrangements. The Government believes that people who have
committed an offence serious enough to warrant a term of imprisonment should
not be able to vote while in prison (a view shared by other Council of Europe
States). Press release ~
Consultation documents ~ Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights
(ECtHR) ~ DfT: A consultation (closes
The Government is also seeking comments on
suggestions from local MPs that discounts be made available for local residents
and comments on proposals for reinvestment of the
revenue. Press release ~
Consultation documents ~ Highways Agency ~ Dartford – Thurrock Crossing website ~ History DTI: The Government has announced a
consultation (closes 8 March 2007) on an ‘investment package worth up to £1.7
billion for the Post Office designed to preserve the national network, and set
it on a firm footing’ (subject to European state aid approval). The proposed new access criteria for post
offices will be ·
FONT>
Nationally, 99%
within 3 miles and 90% of the population to be within
1mile ·
FONT>
In deprived urban
areas1, 99% of the population to be within 1 mile ·
FONT>
In urban areas,
95% of the population to be within 1 mile ·
FONT>
In rural areas,
95% of the total rural population within 3 miles ·
FONT>
In remote areas,
95% of the population in postcode districts2 within 6
miles On average the 800 smallest rural post
offices served just 16 people a week at a cost to the taxpayer of £17 per visit
- even if this was just to buy a stamp.
A total of 1,600 branches served fewer than 20 customers a day - losing
£8 for every transaction. Press release ~
Consultation documents ~
The Post Office Ltd. Rural Pilot
Activity report ~ NAO report – DTI: Financial Support for Post
Offices ~ DTI – Postal Services ~ Post
Office portal ~ National Federation of Sub
Postmasters ~ Postwatch ~ Countryside Alliance Scottish Executive: A joint consultation paper (closes on
March
6, 2007) on proposals aimed at stopping
fraudsters from using the identities of dead people has been issued by the
Registrars General for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and
Scotland. Identity fraud, of which Impersonation of the Deceased (IOD)
fraud is a type, costs the Under the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services
( Press release ~
Consultation
documents ~ Registrar
General for England and Wales ~ Registrar
General for Northern Ireland ~ Home Office
– Identity Theft
~ CIFAS online ~ Directgov – identity theft ~ Internet Watch Foundation ~ Identity Theft – victim support ~
Identity Fraud DfT: Shipping Minister Stephen Ladyman has
published a UK consultation paper (closes 28th February
2007) on the European Maritime Green Paper published
earlier this year by the European
Commission – See ‘EU legislation and
Initiatives’ section below. DWP: New pension proposals published for consultation (closes on
20 March 2007) in the Government's White Paper - Personal accounts: a new way to save. –
See ‘In the News’ section
above. DCA: A consultation paper (closes on
DH: The new edition of the authoritative
source of information on vaccines & immunisation, known amongst health
professionals as the 'Green Book' (officially called 'Immunisation against Infectious
Disease) is being distributed free to primary care health professionals
from last week. This edition is intended to be more
comprehensive than previous editions and it features new sections &
chapters including an index on vaccines, immunisations for people with
underlying conditions,and surveillance & monitoring of vaccine
safety. If you know someone who thinks they should
have received a free copy but haven't they should phone 0845 954 0000 or
e-mail greenbook@broadsystem.com leaving their name,
occupation, address and relevant professional registration number such as GMC,
RPSGB or nursing registration number where applicable.
Press release ~ NHS Immunisation Information ~ Latest Version ~ DH - Green Book ~ Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
(JCVI) ~ DH Immunisation
website ~
BMA -
Childhood immunisation : a guide for healthcare
professionals ~ The case against NAO: The National Audit Office has qualified the Home Office 2005-06 Resource Accounts
because Accounting Standards require these accounts to include the 2004-05
results. However, the report shows
that the Home Office has worked to address many of the fundamental problems
highlighted in the 2004-05 results.
However, the Home Office has been unable to
provide sufficient evidence that there is not significant
duplication between the different methods of recording on its accounting system
of its liabilities to suppliers. Many of the system & control weaknesses
from 2004-05 remained present in 2005-06. In particular, there were inadequate
controls to match payroll and personnel records to determine exact staff
numbers within the department. Press release ~
Home Office Resource Accounts 2005
-06 ~ Home Office: 2004-05 Resource
Account ~ NAO guidance and good practice: Financial Accounting Update January
2006 ~ NAO Efficiency Toolkit ~ Capability Reviews (includes Home
Office) FSA: A Financial Services Authority report shows that consumers are
getting better outcomes in the way their mortgage endowment complaints are
handled, but the FSA stressed that there is no room for
complacency. Since July 2005, the FSA has been looking at
how 52 firms (covering 90% of the mortgage endowment market) handle complaints.
It had concerns with 22 firms and
14 of them have taken or are taking remedial action to improve the quality of
their complaints handling. As a result of this
work: ·
FONT>
More than 100,000
complaints previously rejected have been or are being reviewed, with around 75%
of those being reviewed so far having been decided in the consumers' favour
·
FONT>
The number of
complaints taking more than eight weeks to resolve has fallen from 33,000 to
7,000 Press release ~
Mortgage endowments – Delivering higher
standards ~ FSA - Mortgage Endowments ~ Financial Ombudsman ~ Which? ~
DfT: Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander
has published - "Putting Passengers
First" - which outlines Government proposals to ‘change the way buses are run, strengthening
the working partnerships between local authorities and bus companies to attract
more passengers in the long term’. The
key changes being considered in Putting
Passengers First are: ·
FONT>
greater
partnership working between local authorities & operators, timetables and
fares ·
FONT>
holding not just
operators but also local authorities to account for the performance of local
bus services ·
FONT>
making it a option
for local authorities to introduce schemes tailored to local
needs ·
FONT>
allowing local
charities and community groups to provide services in areas poorly served by
other transport ·
FONT>
ensuring that
current bus subsidies help to support the Government's environmental
objectives DTI: Improving the health of the whole population and reducing health
inequalities, particularly for those with the poorest health, should be an
objective for the whole of government says a new report published by the
independent Council for Science and
Technology (CST). The report - 'Health Impacts -
A Strategy Across Government’ - sets out a number of recommendations on how all government
departments can incorporate health issues when developing & delivering
their policies, including: ·
More resources should be
devoted to providing the evidence base necessary for good
policy-making ·
Delivering health
improvements cannot be achieved if it is seen as the business of the DH
alone ·
Government departments need
to work with the DH to make sure the best evidence is available about health
impacts, relevant to that department's policy areas. ·
Mechanisms for joining up
databases across government are crucial and need to be put in
place ·
Training is needed for
policy-makers in the determinants of health & the use of evidence to assess
them Press release ~
Council for
Science and Technology (CST) ~ 'Health Impacts - A Strategy Across
Government' ~ <
FONT color=#0000ff>CST:
Better Use of Personal Information ~
Pilot NHS
(England) Agreement ~ Ordnance Survey - Health ~
The Information Centre for Health and Social Care ~ Central and Local Government Information Partnership
(CLIP) DfT: Secretary of State for Transport
Douglas Alexander has reported the progress made in implementing the policies
& proposals set out in the Government's 2003 Future of Air Transport White
Paper. The progress report claims to ‘reaffirm the Government's commitment to
the strategy set out in the White Paper, that is, support for the development
of the aviation sector across the UK, predominantly through making the best use
of existing capacity, and ensuring where new capacity is required its provision
is in line with our environmental obligations’. As part of this, the Department has announced
a new mechanism to help inform decisions on major increases in aviation capacity. The 'emissions cost assessment' will consider whether
the aviation sector is meeting its external climate change costs. The Government is expected to consult on
the development of this assessment in the first half of
2007. Press release ~
Air
Transport White Paper Progress Report 2006 ~ Future of Air Transport White
Paper ~ European Commission's
Communication on aviation emissions ~
EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU
ETS) ~ Sustainable Aviation website ~ A strategy towards sustainable development ~
Sustainable Travel International
website ~ Aviation
and the environment: Using economic instruments
~ GreenSkies website ~
CAA Environment web page ~ Skan-UK
website ~ The Travel Foundation ~ Climate change: Carbon
offsetting ~ Q & A on Aviation and Climate Change ~ Civil Aviation Act 2006
~ Air traffic
forecasts DWP: A new research report into the range of programmes being
implemented across EU states and Press release ~
Report 406: Developing
Positive Action Policies: Learning from the Experiences of Europe and North
America ~ Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force ~ DTI - Ethnic Minority Employment ~ ESRC - Ethnic Minorities in the
UK ~ Ethnic minority women at work - Moving on up? ~ NRU: Floor Targets Interactive DCLG: The Government's agenda to devolve
power & strengthen local leadership moved forward this week, with the
advent of key Parliamentary stages of two major Bills and the publication of a
consultation on City Development
Companies (CDC's), which are
intended to provide detailed policy proposals to sustain momentum on the
government’s drive to ‘enhance the
health, strength and economic prosperity of local communities’:
I> Firstly, the Local Government and Public Involvement in
Health Bill has been introduced to Parliament, following on from the recent
White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous
Communities'. Secondly, a consultation (closes on the Lastly the GLA Bill had its second reading in the
House of Commons. Press release ~
Additional press release ~ The Role of City Development Companies in English Cities and
City-Regions - A Consultation ~ Local Government and
Public Involvement in Health Bill ~ White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities' ~ Greater London Authority
Bill ~ Lyons Inquiry into
Local Government ICO: The Information Commissioner has upheld
a complaint under the Freedom of
Information Act against The National
Archives following its refusal to disclose information relating to the 1911
census schedule, which is not due to be published until
2012. The Commissioner has stressed that this
Decision must be confined to the circumstances relating to the information
requested in this case and interested parties are referred to the full decision
notice Press release ~
Decision Notice
~ IOC
website ~ National Archives press
statement DfT: Shipping Minister Stephen Ladyman has
published a The Green Paper - ‘Towards a future Maritime Policy for the
The European Commission published its Green Paper on Press release ~
UK Consultation
documents ~ EU Maritime Green Paper ~
Related EU documents ~ UK Marine Bill ~ WWF Marine Act Campaign ~
Sea Vision UK - British Chamber of
Shipping ~ British Marine Aggregate Producers
Association ~ British Maritime Law
Association CCWater: According to the Consumer Council for Water, European
Commission proposals recently debated by the European Parliament in
Treated sewage sludge escaped being
classified as waste under the revised European Union Waste Framework Directive last week, following an
environment committee vote at First Reading. The Consumer Council for Water,
together with Waterwatch Scotland,
briefed MEPs to oppose Commission proposals on treating sewage sludge used in
agriculture. Press release ~
Consumer
Council for Water ~ Waterwatch Scotland ~ Defra – Agricultural
waste CC: The Charity Commission has announced its
commitment to reducing the administration burden it puts on charities by at
least 25% over the next three years.
Its new Simplification Plan
includes not only the provisions of the Charities Act 2006 but also additional
Commission proposals for further admin reductions. These include major changes to financial
thresholds, such as raising the independent examination threshold, subject to
further consultation in
2007. Press release ~
CC Simplification Plan ~ Charities Act 2006 guide NAO: Proposals to improve the filing of VAT and Company Tax
returns have been put forward by the National Audit Office. These
proposals aim to achieve efficiency savings and reduce the amount of tax at
risk. The report recommends that the HMRC should
analyse the tax at risk from failure to file correctly and identify (by sector)
the businesses responsible, focusing on those late with both their VAT and
Company Tax returns. It should
also track the effectiveness of any new penalty regime & incentives in
changing filing patterns and improving performance. Press release ~
Full Report ~
Executive summary ~ Oxford Internet Institute -
Research into Barriers and Incentives for Businesses Filing Returns
Online FSA: The Financial Services Authority (FSA)
has published CP06/21 Investment
Entities Listing Review to clarify & seek further views (by
This includes clarifying the importance of a
company's investment policy; explaining the FSA's decision to withdraw
its proposal to abolish the directive minimum regime for overseas investment
companies and; introducing new listing categories to make it clear to investors
what obligations a listed company is subject to. Press release
~CP06/21 Investment Entities Listing review -
Further consultation and feedback on Part 2 of CP06/4 ~ 2003 Consultation paper Pensions Regulator: Industry debate about corporate deals (which may lead
employers to abandon their pension schemes) has been prompted by the Pensions
Regulator following the concerns it raised in
October. After proposals which seek to sever the link
between employers and their defined benefit pension schemes were brought to its
attention, the regulator has now issued a discussion paper, alongside draft
guidance, to help trustees identify such proposals and consider their
implications. In its paper, the regulator has invited the
industry and other interested parties to respond to key areas it has
identified. Comments on the
discussion paper should be emailed to: DBpaper@thepensionsregulator.gov.uk by
9 February 2007. Press release ~
Pensions Regulator ~ Scheme Abandonment Paper
HMRC: VAT
Business Brief 22/06 Contents: ·
FONT>
New Principal EC
VAT Directive ·
FONT>
Definition of
biodiesel in Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979: Further
Guidance ·
FONT>
Motor and heating
fuels - Revised Public Notice 179 ·
FONT>
Motor and heating
fuels - Revised Public Notice 179A ·
FONT>
Intrastat -
changes from Press release ~
Business Briefs
2006 (it sometimes takes time to appear
here) WGPlus would like to make it clear that the commentary & links provided, in respect of any particular
item, are published in its capacity as an independent non-government funded
organisation and reflect the editorial team’s need to both précis &
re‑format the content of news releases. Any views expressed are therefore entirely those of the WGPlus
editorial team and independent of any sponsor, government organisation or
political party. For the official view of a source
organisation, readers should click
on the ‘press release’ that is the first link attached to each
item. Speed of download - Readers are reminded that some documents linked to can be large
(VL) or
even very, very large (VVL) and may take some time to download, even with a
broadband link. Readers are
encouraged to be patient. While every care is taken to ensure that all links ’work’ in
the newsletter (including checking just before publication), WGPlus cannot guarantee that
websites will not make changes that will nullify individual links, especially
over a period of time. WGPlus is not responsible for
the content of external websitesGeneral News
Policy Statements and Initiatives
Consultations
Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
Annual Reports
General Reports and other publications
Press release ~
DfT – Putting Passengers
First ~ National Transport Model ~ London Buses ~ UK Bus Timetable Website
Directory ~ Traveline ~ Bus Users UK ~ Community Transport Association ~ Bus
Grants ~ DfT - Buses ~ Rural Bus Service Good Practice
Guide
Legislation / Legal
EU legislation, initiatives, etc.
Charity and Voluntary Sector
Business and other briefings
Industry News
Forthcoming Event
Editorial Content Statement