General Reports and Other Publications
NIESR: NIESR research (‘The introduction of Jobcentre Plus: An evaluation of labour market impacts’) finds that the introduction of Jobcentre Plus improved the functioning of the British labour market, increasing the rate of job-matching for benefit claimants of working age and reducing benefit dependency.
CBI: - Almost 50% of businesses believe that current employment laws discourage job creation, says a joint survey, entitled ‘Unlocking Employment: A joint survey on attitudes to Employment Law among Northern Ireland Businesses’, leading to calls for an 'urgent review' of the cost of employment law.
Civitas: British Universities are educating 6,000 fewer British engineersa year than 10 years ago, adding fewer STEM subject graduates to theadding fewer STEM subject graduates to the labour market than total student figures suggest, according to a new Civitas report, The STEM subject push.
iea: A new report released recently by the Institute of Economic Affairs, No Case for Plan B – Lessons for the Great Recession from the Great Depression, argues that any switch to a Plan B on the economy which involves more government borrowing will not boost growth and will instead simply increase government debt.
Socitm: A survey by Socitm Insight of council website & social media coverage of the public sector strike on 30 November shows wide variation in practice & performance.
DECC: The results of a major new scientific assessment of climate change has been published, highlighting the effects the world could face if global temperature changes are not limited to 2 degrees.
NAO: The Olympic Delivery Authority remains on course to deliver its work on the Olympic Park on time, however, almost the whole of the £9.298bn Public Sector Funding Package for the 2012 Games is likely to be required, with little scope for further unforeseen costs to emerge in the 8 months left.
ESRC: Many disabled children fail to reach their full potential because they continue to be marginalised in schools, health & social care, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
DWP: A Call for Evidence into how Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) might operate for claimants in the future has been published recently by Lord Freud, the Minister for Welfare Reform.
CBI: In Joining-up, joining-in, the CBI called on the Government to step up the pace of action on community budgets, which could save local authorities around £18bn annually in England alone.
ACFP: The Assembly Committee for Finance and Personnel has recently published a report giving its views on proposals to expand the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme and introduce a controversial Large Retail Levy.
NAO: The Government has not in general measured the benefits delivered by its 2 central internet services Directgov and Business.gov and the infrastructure service Government Gateway, which together cost some £90m, according to a report by the National Audit Office.
DWP: Research published recently by the Department for Work and Pensions is a technical paper which looks at variation in the programme impacts across the Jobcentre Plus districts participating in the Employment, Retention and Advancement(ERA) Demonstration.
CBI: The CBI has commented on a campaign by UK Trade & Investment to encourage more UK exports to high growth and emerging Asian markets.
CQC: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) recently published the first 5 reports from a targeted programme of 150 inspections of hospitals and care homes that care for people with learning disabilities.
The programme is looking at whether people experience safe & appropriate care, treatment & support and whether they are protected from abuse. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published in Spring 2012.
The programme is looking at whether people experience safe & appropriate care, treatment & support and whether they are protected from abuse. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published in Spring 2012.
NIA: A scheme put in place to reduce pollution from slurry & manure and so improve water quality was poorly planned & was poor value for money, the Assembly Public Accounts Committee has found.
NHS Confed: NHS Confederation deputy chief executive David Stout says NHS leaders need to give proper consideration to how they can best implement the NCEPOD report 'Knowing the Risk' recommendations.
NHS Confed: The Government must simplify & clarify the significantly more complicated system it has created for child health under its reforms says a new NHS Confederation report. There is a real sense that insufficient attention has been paid to what the reforms will mean for child health.
To rectify the situation, the Government should start by clarifying & simplifying how services will work together and go on to produce a cross-government strategy.
To rectify the situation, the Government should start by clarifying & simplifying how services will work together and go on to produce a cross-government strategy.
