Consultations
EU News: The European Commission is seeking citizens' & other interested parties' views on ‘how the EU can help to deliver widespread benefits to the quality & efficiency of healthcare by applying information & communication technologies (ICT) (so-called 'eHealth')’.
The questionnaire will also help the Commission assess whether its proposed policy objectives are technically viable, workable in practice and in line with the expectations of stakeholders. The answers must be submitted by 25 May 2011and they will feed into the eHealth Action Plan for 2012-2020.
Background
DfE: Headteachers ‘have welcomed a Government consultation on how school funding can be made fairer’. It seeks the views of parents, teachers, schools, unions and local authorities about the current system, and asks whether a new system would result in a fairer outcome for schools.
The consultation launched is the first part of a 2-stage process. Taking into account these views, further proposals will be published for consultation later this year. As it stands, the school funding system creates large variations in how much money similar schools in different parts of the country receive. Funding is based on historic calculations - some dating back to at least 2005 - that bear little resemblance to the needs of schools and their pupils today.
The Government is also consulting on potential options for funding Academies next year, as an immediate step towards making the funding system simpler. Both consultations close on Wednesday 25 May 2011.
Press release ~ Academies' Pre-16 Funding: Options for the 2012/13 Academic Year ~ A Consultation on School Funding Reform: Rationale & Principles
CLG: Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has announced ‘proposals for a more localist and fairer way of providing sites for travellers, building on earlier commitments to strengthen measures to tackle the abuse of the planning system’ (consultation closes on 6 July 2011) – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
NE: Following last year’s consultation on proposals to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, Natural England recently released revised boundary details for further public consideration (closes on 1 July 2011).
Anyone wishing to respond can do so via the project website, by email or by post. NE will then consider all responses and draw up recommendations. NE’s Board expects to consider the final proposals in September 2011 and the decision about any extension to either National Park will then be submitted to Defra for confirmation.
EU News: The European Commission has launched a public consultation (closes on 30 June 2011) on the future strategy of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The consultation will feed into a 'strategic innovation agenda' for the EIT which the Commission is due to propose by the end of 2011.
The agenda will outline the Institute's main priorities until 2020, focusing on the Institute's mission & objectives, funding and future themes.
The agenda will outline the Institute's main priorities until 2020, focusing on the Institute's mission & objectives, funding and future themes.
