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General Reports and Other Publications
CSPL: The Committee on Standards in Public Life, chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly, has published the findings of its review of best practice in promoting high standards of behaviour in public life. The report argues that ‘while much of the basic infrastructure to improve standards is in place, there is a great deal more to do before high ethical standards are fully internalised in the cultures of all our public institutions’.
Press release & links ~ Standards matter: a review of best practice in promoting good behaviour in public life
PC&PE: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published its report on offshore electricity transmission - a new model for infrastructure. It commented: "Not only is it unlikely that this new licensing system for bringing electricity from offshore wind farms onto the national grid will deliver any savings for consumers, it could well lead to higher prices”.
Press release & links ~ EU Energy Efficiency: investment targets not achieved; average pay back period exceeds 50 years (in extreme cases 150 years)
HL: As homelessness rises across the country, ‘plans to cut local funding of housing support services by up to 85% will damage lives & communities’, Homeless Link warns. Some deep concerns have been highlighted by the report Who is supporting people now?, which explores the impact of funding changes on local authorities, services and the people they support in 7 communities in England.
IoE: The positive impact of Reading Recovery for pupils who struggled with literacy at the start of primary school lasts up to & into secondary school, a study from the Institute of Education (IOE), London, has revealed.
Reading Recovery is a school based literacy programme for the lowest achieving children aged 5 or 6 that enables them to reach age-expected levels within 20 weeks. It involves a short series of one-to-one lessons every day with a specially trained teacher.
PC&PE: A number of key decisions need to be taken swiftly in order to ensure a smooth change-over to a new system of pricing for the drugs used by the NHS the Health Committee reported last week, following an inquiry into the work of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). It also urges greater openness about the results of clinical drug trials, and welcomes the new role that NICE will have from April this year in producing guidance for the social care sector.
PX: Households could reduce their gas & electricity bills by as much as £70 a year if they were allowed to compare each other’s energy bills. A new report, Smarter, Greener, Cheaper, by Policy Exchange says there is evidence both internationally and in the UK that households cut the amount of energy they use when their energy use is compared to that of a more energy efficient neighbour.
The report argues policy changes are needed if the Government wants to take full advantage of the roll-out of smart meters, which will see 53m new gas & electricity meters installed in homes across the UK over the next 7 years.
PC&PE: The Draft Local Audit Bill ad-hoc Committee published its Report, Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Draft Local Audit Bill, last week. Launching the report, chair of the Committee, Margaret Hodge MP, said: "We heard conflicting evidence about whether & how much public money is likely to be saved by implementing this legislation. Given this uncertainty it's essential the Government commissions & publishes a new financial impact assessment alongside the Bill when this is presented to Parliament.
The Committee is concerned that the proposed new arrangements as set out in the draft Bill will result in a more complex and fragmented audit regime. We believe that the principle of independent audit - which has guided public sector audit for the last 150 years - could be undermined if the bill is not amended.”
IISS: According to the latest Strategic Comment from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the British Army is planning to rely on more reserves as part of a radical reorganisation forced by defence cuts. But the project's long-term viability relies on the successful withdrawal from.
