Annual Reports
PC&PE: The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has published the report of its inquiry into the Autumn Statement 2012: Environmental Issues. A Treasury led 'dash for gas' could make the UK's carbon targets under the Climate Change Act unachievable, the cross-party EAC has warned.
The Committee is calling on the Government to restore investor confidence in the future direction of energy policy by setting a clear decarbonisation objective in the forthcoming Energy Bill.
The Committee is calling on the Government to restore investor confidence in the future direction of energy policy by setting a clear decarbonisation objective in the forthcoming Energy Bill.
NAO: The tax avoidance disclosure regime introduced in 2004 by HM Revenue & Customs, DOTAS, has helped the department make some important headway in reducing the opportunities for avoidance. However, there is little evidence that HMRC is making progress in preventing the sale of highly contrived tax avoidance schemes to a large number of taxpayers.
In each of the last 4 years, over 100 new avoidance schemes have been disclosed under DOTAS. While HMRC believes most of these would be defeated if tested in the courts, there is no evidence that their usage is reducing.
DH: The Department of Health, working in partnership with the Public Health Observatories in England, has released baseline data for the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF).
This release of baseline data for the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2016 includes data for the first set of 39 indicators at England and upper tier local authority level. The data are presented in an interactive data tool which allows users to view data in a user-friendly format and in particular to:
This release of baseline data for the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2016 includes data for the first set of 39 indicators at England and upper tier local authority level. The data are presented in an interactive data tool which allows users to view data in a user-friendly format and in particular to:
NAO: The BBC has strengthened its approach to managing its finances, but should improve its financial reporting systems, according to a report by the National Audit Office (the NAO) for the BBC Trust published last week. This is to ensure the BBC can monitor more frequently how its spending aligns with its strategic and editorial priorities.
DH: Comprehensive action is needed to stop the rising tide of liver disease, is one of the key findings to emerge from Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, first annual report. The report, which is the first of two volumes, provides a comprehensive picture of England’s health by bringing together a number of data sources in one place for the first time.
It brings into sharp focus that England is one of the few countries in the EU where a major cause of preventable death is on the increase. Between 2000 & 2009, deaths from chronic liver disease & cirrhosis in the under 65s increased by around 20%, while they fell by the same amount in most EU countries.
And all 3 major causes of liver disease – obesity, undiagnosed infection, and, increasingly, harmful drinking – are preventable.
And all 3 major causes of liver disease – obesity, undiagnosed infection, and, increasingly, harmful drinking – are preventable.
NAO: The National Audit Office has reported that the Department for Education has delivered a fundamental change in the nature of the Academies Programme through a rapid, 10-fold increase in the number of academies since May 2010. This increase is a significant achievement.
However, the Department was unprepared for the scale of the financial implications arising from such a rapid expansion. In the 2 years between April 2010 & March 2012, the Department had to meet an estimated £1bn of additional costs, while remaining within its overall spending limits.
WAG: Minister for the Environment & Sustainable Development, John Griffiths, has welcomed publication of this year’s Sustainable Development Annual Report 2011 – 12.
ONS: The difference in average hourly earnings between employees in the public and private sector was highest at the bottom end of the scale in April 2011, according to a report published last week by the Office for National Statistics.
This analysis is based on characteristics collected in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). A podcast giving more background on this analysis in available on the ONS Youtube channel.
Press release & links ~ Gender pay gap falls to 9.6% in 2012 ~ TUC: Part-time workers earn a third less per hour than full-time staff
Ofsted: Ofsted’s first adoption statistics were published last week. The data provides a comprehensive picture of adoption in England. Along with the adoption statistics, Ofsted is also publishing the fourth annual statistics for fostering services.
LGA: Thousands of miles of Britain's roads could be strewn with potholes within months without reform of how Government funds maintenance, highways bosses are warning.
Decades of underfunding, recent severe winters and widespread flooding earlier this year, compounded by the current Government cutting £500m from roads maintenance budgets, means many councils are struggling to move beyond simply patching up a deteriorating network.
Decades of underfunding, recent severe winters and widespread flooding earlier this year, compounded by the current Government cutting £500m from roads maintenance budgets, means many councils are struggling to move beyond simply patching up a deteriorating network.
The Local Government Association is calling on Government to free up money & invest it in resurfacing the current network. This will not only allow councils to pay for resurfacing projects to make roads safer, and save £bns in the long term (reactive repairs are 20 times more expensive), but also boost jobs & growth in the short-term. A good quality surface is also far more resistant to flood & ice damage.
PC&PE: In a report published recently, the Procedure Committee says that the Backbench Business Committee has been widely welcomed by MPs as a successful innovation, and makes some modest recommendations to increase its powers & responsibilities.
When the Backbench Business Committee was set up in 2010 to give control of some Parliamentary time to backbench MPs, it was agreed that it should be reviewed after the first session (2010–2012).
When the Backbench Business Committee was set up in 2010 to give control of some Parliamentary time to backbench MPs, it was agreed that it should be reviewed after the first session (2010–2012).
The Procedure Committee has reviewed its first 2 years, and concludes that while there is no need for major substantial change to the practices or procedures which have developed around backbench business and the work of the Committee, a number of proposals could improve and refine the framework within which it operates.
