General Reports and Other Publications
WAG: The Minister for Health and Social Services, Lesley Griffiths, has launched a report that will improve the lives of people with sensory loss. The report, Accessible Healthcare for People with Sensory Loss in Wales, makes recommendations on delivering sustainable improvements in the experiences of patients with sensory loss when they come into contact with the NHS in Wales.
The research that informed the report focussed on 5 key areas; communication, workforce & training, healthcare standards, inspection & review and complaints, and the report developed specific recommendations in relation to each of these areas.
FSA: A new report published by the Food Standards Agency shows that consumers are broadly in favour of reducing inspections on compliant businesses so that resources can be focused on those which are higher risk.
Under the proposed ‘Earned Recognition’ scheme, food businesses that are able to demonstrate a history of good compliance with the legislation, or that are members of a private assurance scheme, would receive a lighter touch in terms of the number and type of official inspections.
WF: In the wake of the Chancellor’s plans to make the skills system more responsive to employers, a report by The Work Foundation argues that skills shortages are only part of the problem.
The report shows how a failure to address the under-utilisation of skills, especially at the lower end of the labour market, constitutes a barrier to both social mobility and the competitiveness of the UK economy.
The report shows how a failure to address the under-utilisation of skills, especially at the lower end of the labour market, constitutes a barrier to both social mobility and the competitiveness of the UK economy.
Civitas: Energy experts warn that unwarranted support for wind-power is hindering genuinely cleaner energy. The focus on wind-power, driven by the renewables targets, is preventing Britain from effectively reducing CO2 emissions, while crippling energy users with additional costs, according to a new Civitas report.
The report finds that wind-power is unreliable and requires back-up power stations to be available in order to maintain a consistent electricity supply to households and businesses.
This means that energy users pay twice: once for the window-dressing of renewables, and again for the fossil fuels that the energy sector continues to rely on. Contrary to the implied message of the Government's approach, the analysis shows that wind-power is not a low-cost way of reducing emissions.
This means that energy users pay twice: once for the window-dressing of renewables, and again for the fossil fuels that the energy sector continues to rely on. Contrary to the implied message of the Government's approach, the analysis shows that wind-power is not a low-cost way of reducing emissions.
IPPR: New analysis from the think tank IPPR suggests that executive pay increases are not justified by the performance of their companies. On average, total CEO remuneration increased by 33%, while the average increase in company value was 24%. IPPR’s new analysis looks at CEO reward packages and company value in 87 companies in the FTSE 100 over 2010/11.
On average, CEOs in the 87 companies took home £5.1m in basic pay, bonuses, share incentives and pension contributions. But changes in remuneration of chief executives and the value of FTSE 100 companies have no statistical relationship.
PC&PE: The interests of people in Wales must not be left unprotected or marginalised if the Government proceeds with its plans to abolish one of the major consumer advocacy groups in Wales, Consumer Focus. That’s the message of a report published by the Commons Welsh Affairs Committee.
PC&PE: Alcohol guidelines should be reviewed, according to a new report that raises concerns about the Government's advice on sensible drinking. MPs on the Science and Technology Committee conclude that greater efforts should also be focused on helping people understand the guidelines and how to use them.
NIESR: Research by the National Institute of Economic & Social Research shows that non-European economic and student migrants ‘impose costs on UK public services that are small both relative to the total cost of these services and to the share of these groups in the population as a whole’.
CQC: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published 10 reports from a targeted programme of 150 unannounced inspections of hospitals & care homes that care for people with learning disabilities. The first 5 reports were published in December. The 10 inspections were of hospitals that provide assessment & treatment services.
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 the Spring 2012.
CBI: The Government needs to ‘think big’ when it publishes its forthcoming Communications Bill, and be ambitious about what one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors can achieve, the CBI says. In a new report, called Blazing a trail – the UK communications sector in a global economy, the CBI says the communications industry should play a key part in rebalancing the economy.
To support this, the Government must ensure that regulation is suitable for a dynamic industry, encourage competition in the communications sector, maximise export opportunities, and ensure the UK has the infrastructure it needs to compete on a global stage.
PC&PE: The Commons Public Accounts Committee published its 62nd Report of the Session, on the basis of evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, HM Treasury, as well as Age UK, Child Poverty Action Group, and the London School of Economics.
The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, said:
"The Government spends at least £87 billion a year on means-tested benefits, and the poorest households rely on them for a third of their income. So it is crucial that government gets the design and implementation of means-tested benefits right, to protect vulnerable claimants as well as the taxpayer………
At present, there are nine central government departments and 152 local authorities administering 30 different means-tested benefits, yet there is no one body responsible for coordinating means-testing across government. There needs to be a single body responsible for overseeing the interaction between different benefits, means tested or not, and ensuring consistency and value for money”.
IPPR: Reacting to a new report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published recently on the impact of immigration on unemployment, Matt Cavanagh, associate director of the think tank IPPR, said:
“This is an important report, but there is a danger that in it's finding that there is an ‘association between immigration and employment’ – and in particular that ‘an extra 100 non-EU migrants are initially associated with 23 fewer native people employed’ – will be seized on as ‘gotcha’ moment confirming the popular view that immigrants take jobs off British people. However, a number of cautionary points need to be made”.
CH: New research published by Chatham House uses high resolution satellite imagery and nightlight emissions to analyse the effects of piracy on the Somali economy and establish which groups benefit from ransom payments.
The report's author, Dr Anja Shortland, says that piracy has had a positive impact on local economies and therefore a military strategy to eradicate piracy could seriously undermine local development.
Treasure Mapped: Using Satellite Imagery to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy demonstrates how pirates appear to be investing money principally in the main cities of Garowe and Bosasso, rather than in the coastal communities where pirate activity takes place.
The report also suggests that coastal villages have gained little from hosting pirates and may be open to a negotiated solution which would be to their benefit.
Treasure Mapped: Using Satellite Imagery to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy demonstrates how pirates appear to be investing money principally in the main cities of Garowe and Bosasso, rather than in the coastal communities where pirate activity takes place.
The report also suggests that coastal villages have gained little from hosting pirates and may be open to a negotiated solution which would be to their benefit.
WWF: WWF and the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) recently rejected the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) report claiming that new runways are needed in the Southeast in order to meet consumer demand.
The CAA's report ignores the advice of the Government’s climate advisers and is also in direct contradiction to Government policy to make the most of the airport capacity we already have.
The CAA's report ignores the advice of the Government’s climate advisers and is also in direct contradiction to Government policy to make the most of the airport capacity we already have.
