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General News
DH: An online advertising service that will help 'hook up' NHS providers with healthcare suppliers has been announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw.
Speaking at the Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare Convention, he set out how the new website, NHS Supply2Healthwill make it easier for Primary Care Trust (PCT) commissioners to advertise health & social care services they require and for suppliers to identify business opportunities within the NHS.
From Wednesday 1 October 2008, all NHS commissioners will be required to post information about tendering opportunities & contract awards on the site, making it easier for suppliers to track down single opportunities and understand exactly what PCTs want.
For commissioners, Supply2Health will help meet their legal requirements to advertise and potentially increase the number of suppliers responding to their adverts by reaching a wider audience. It will also offer services, including emailing subscribers where new opportunities are posted that match the health and social care services they provide.
Press release ~ NHS Supply2Health ~ Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare Convention ~ EU Procurement Directives ~ OGC procurement documents ~ NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA)
WAG: The first company in the UK capable of recycling waste plastic bottles back into useful food packaging material is investing nearly £12m to open a new plant in North Wales. Closed Loop Recycling opened its first plant in London in June and now, backed by private equity investment from the Foresight Group and backing from the Assembly Government, the company intends to open its second plant - which will be located in the Deeside area.
The new recycling plant, which will employ 50 people, will take an annual total of 50,000 tonnes of water, milk and other soft drinks bottles which would otherwise end up in landfill sites and turn them back into recycled raw material for new food and drink packaging.
Press release ~ Closed Loop Recycling ~ Foresight Group ~ WAG – Waste management ~ WAG - Environment and Countryside ~ Landfill Allowances Scheme (LAS) ~ Environment Agency - Waste
CO: The Prime Minister has invited the Rt Hon Sir Peter Gibson, the Intelligence Services Commissioner to review the intercepted intelligence material available to the security and intelligence agencies in relation to the Omagh bombing and how it was shared. The PM has invited Sir Peter Gibson to report his findings to him within three months.
Press release ~ Intelligence Services Commissioner ~ Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ~ Report of the Intelligence Services Commissioner for 2007
OGC BS: Organisations across the public sector striving to manage their estates more efficiently & sustainably are to be assisted by new & improved procurement arrangements launched by OGCbuying.solutions.
The new Estates Professional Services framework agreement builds on the successful performance of previous arrangements by adding additional features and incorporating detailed feedback from customers and other stakeholders. The comprehensive service set ranges from a full appraisal of an organisation's business needs and existing holdings in an estate strategy, through to individual rent reviews or disposals.
Press release ~ OGCbuying.solutions ~ Estates Professional Services framework agreement ~ Office of Government Commerce's 'High Performing Property' programme ~ HM Treasury 'Transforming Government Procurement'
PB: The recently re-designed Parole Board website, which was launched in January 2008, has won the website or microsite of the year category in the prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards for 2008.
The CIPR team of judges said: "This is a very clearly designed site that succeeds in delivering expert advice for victims of crime, offenders and industry professionals. The language is clear and the signposting on the site is simple and easy to follow. Difficult issues are handled sensitively and the site is extremely informative, using a question and answer format to deliver its messages in a style that is open and welcoming.
The site features a new section aimed at victims of crime and their families, including advice on how to make a victim impact statement for consideration by the Parole Board and how to attend a Parole Board hearing to present that statement in person.
Press release ~ Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards for 2008 ~ Parole Board ~ Web design agency ECRU
IS: The Insolvency Service has written to all those who it believes may be affected by the theft of four laptop computers from its Manchester offices. Three of the computers contained no data. The fourth laptop computer contained personal information about the former directors of 122 companies which had become insolvent. It also contains some information about other persons who had had some connection with these companies.
The information consisted of documents sent to The Insolvency Service by insolvency practitioners who act as administrators, receivers or liquidators of insolvent companies. The documents, which are required to be sent by law, included information about the activities of company directors which the insolvency practitioner considers may give cause for concern.
PCS: PCS, the largest UK union in the IT company EDS, has expressed fears that over 3,000 jobs could be cut in Britain as a result of the takeover of the company by Hewlett Packard (HP). The fears follow an announcement by HP to cut 24,600 jobs globally, leading the union to warn that it would vigorously oppose any moves to impose compulsory redundancies.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “One of the dangers of privatisation is that government contracts can be bought and sold without any say from MPs. It’s not just former civil servants’ jobs that are at risk, but the delivery of public services that rely on IT services provided by the former EDS. HP are getting massive DWP and defence contracts without having to go through a tendering process”.
ACE: Arts Council England has announced its vision for the arts over the next 3 years, setting out its priorities for the future in the Arts Council Plan 2008-2011. The mission & priorities have been shaped by the Arts Debate, the largest programme of consultation & research ever carried out by the Arts Council and also by the:
* McMaster Review of excellence in the arts
* Government's Creative Britain strategy
* McIntosh review of the Arts Council's latest investment strategy
The Plan also identifies 4 development priorities for the next three years, which are to:
* use digital technology to connect with audiences in new & exciting ways
* improve the reach & effectiveness of visual arts provision
* make sure children & young people grow up with a strong sense of the possibilities the arts give them
* realise the opportunity offered by the London 2012 Olympics to enrich the artistic life of the nation
In order to achieve the target set by the DCMS of reducing administrative costs by 15% ACE will conduct a major review of its organisational structure, management & operations. Decisions will be announced in June 2009 and implemented by April 2010.
Press release ~ Arts Council Plan 2008-2011 ~ Arts Debate ~ McMaster Review of excellence in the arts ~ Government's Creative Britain strategy ~ McIntosh review
CRC: The Commission for Rural Communities has launched a pilot project to promote and test Participatory Budgeting in rural areas. They are launching this project in partnership with the Participatory Budgeting Unit and National Association of Local Councils (NALC). They hope to be joined by local authorities and parish and town councils
Participatory Budgeting is a way of letting local people, rather than officials, decide directly how some local public expenditure is spent within their communities. The Government's National Strategy on Participatory Budgeting makes clear that it's as relevant for rural areas as for urban areas.
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