Policy Statements and Initiatives
DECC: The nuclear industry has until 31 March 2009 to nominate sites for the first wave of new nuclear power stations in the UK, the Government has announced. The call for nominations came alongside publication of the criteria against which potential sites will be assessed.
The criteria include conditions that new sites should not be near major population centres or certain types of military activity. The industry has indicated that the most suitable sites for new build are in the vicinity of existing nuclear power stations.
Press release ~
WAG: Patients in Wales needing kidney cancer drugs that are yet to be approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will receive them on the NHS in the meantime, Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced.
NICE does not currently recommend sunitinib for advanced renal cancer, but is currently reconsidering its advice and is expected to issue firm guidance in the near future. Prior to that announcement, Mrs Hart has decided to introduce a system to allow patients to have greater access to sunitinib and 3 other drugs currently being reviewed by NICE for use in advanced renal cancer - Bevacizumab (Avastin), sorafenib (Nexavar) and temsirolimus (Torisel).
Press release ~ National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ~ WAG – Health and Social Care ~ Wales Cancer Trials Network (WCTN)
ScotGov: At a conference on The Concordat: One Year On, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney has reflected on progress made since the Concordat was signed by local & national government more than a year ago - and highlight the crucial role of councils in delivering economic recovery.
Press release ~ ScotGov - Economy ~ ScotGov – Local Government ~ COSLA ~ Concordat between the Scottish Government and local government
WAG: The ProAct scheme will receive £48m of Welsh Assembly Government funding, including £30m from the Convergence European Social Fund, to cover the year 2009-10 and the current pilot phase. ProAct assists employers & employees to deal with a fall-off in orders and provides an alternative to redundancy by way of short time working and retraining during the days not being worked.
This scheme will also include support to apprentices to complete their training, whose employers are struggling to see them through to the end of the course. A further £20m will be made available, subject to support from European Structural Funds, for the creation of a package of measures to help sustain & encourage new apprenticeship recruitment.
Press release ~ WAG – Education & Skills ~ ProAct ~ European Structural Funds ~ Convergence European Social Fund ~ Redundancy Action Scheme (ReAct)
BERR: The Government has announced a package of measures aimed at freeing up lending of more than £2bn for the automotive industry. The elements of support that have been announced:
* Guarantees to unlock loans of up to £1.3bn European Investment Bank (EIB) guarantees for investment in lower carbon initiatives
* Loans or loan guarantees to support of up to £1bn of lending for lower carbon initiatives for non-EIB backed projects
* Increased funding for training of employees under 'Train to Gain'
* Mervyn Davies, the new Trade and Investment Minister, tasked to draw up a plan for improving access to finance for manufacturers' finance arms.
Press release ~ Related BERR press statement ~ Innovation and Growth Team (IGT) ~ Automotive supply chains: support mechanisms ~ Train to Gain
WAG: Environment, Sustainability & Housing Minister Jane Davidson has announced a major investment that paves the way for the next generation environmentally-friendly recycling plant in South East Wales, which will generate energy from waste.
The funding will help get Prosiect Gwyrdd started. The Project is a joint initiative between 5 South Wales councils, which will look at the best way to dispose of municipal waste that can’t be recycled or composted. The extra funding will be up to £7.8m in a full year of operation, depending on the final costs of the project.
DH: Hospitals that treat patients in mixed sex accommodation will not be paid for their care. The Department of Health's guidance to trusts is that men & women should not have to share sleeping accommodation or toilet facilities. From 2010/11 hospitals who fail to deliver this will face serious financial consequences - unless there is an overriding clinical justification.
The Health Secretary also announced that a £100m Privacy and Dignity Fund will be made available to support the NHS to make the necessary changes to eliminate mixed sex accommodation.
Press release ~ Privacy and Dignity - A report by the Chief Nursing Officer into mixed sex accommodation in hospitals ~ Patients Association ~
ScotGov: The latest steps aimed at 'easing the challenges facing Scotland's house building industry' and increasing the supply of affordable housing have been unveiled by the Scottish Government. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that £17m will be invested to speed up the delivery of affordable housing.
The money is part of the £120m acceleration in the 3-year affordable housing budget being brought forward over 2009/10. It will allow housing associations to purchase unsold stock from the private sector as well as land on which future affordable housing can be built.
Press release ~ Responding to the changed economic climate: More action on Housing ~ ScotGov - Housing
ScotGov: The Scottish Government has commissioned a Marine Spatial Plan for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters, which will help harness Scotland's renewable energy potential by looking at environmental challenges and all commercial and development opportunities.
A draft planning framework (available by April 2009) will be developed into an initial marine plan (through extensive consultation) over the next 12 months. The plan will fit with the outcomes of the Marine Bill process.
Press release ~ ScotGov – Marine renewable energy ~ European Marine Energy Centre ~ Saltire Prize ~ European Commission's Second Strategic Energy Review ~ Pre-Scoping Study to Determine Grid Requirements to Connect Renewable Energy off the Coasts of Northern Europe~ Scotland's Energy Future
MoJ: The independent team appointed by the Prime Minster and the Lord Chancellor to review the '30 year rule' under which public records are released has recommended its reduction to 15 years. The review recommends that the new 15 year rule - which will apply retrospectively to all documents - be phased in over a period of 15 years.
DfT: A harrowing new £3.2m THINK! campaign (from 2 February to 30 March after 7.30pm) to highlight the life-wrecking consequences of speeding for drivers as well as victims has been launched. The campaign's ('Kill your speed, or live with it') stark message is that if you kill someone while speeding, you will be tormented by it forever. In the new television advert a driver is haunted by images of the child he has killed - seeing his body in the bathroom mirror, through the window of a bus and when in the park with his son.
The radio adverts - 'Always There' - feature a chilling message from 'beyond the grave'. Children's voices describe what life is like for the driver who killed them while speeding several years ago. The drivers cannot sleep, watch a football match or spend time with their own children without thinking of the dead child.
Press release ~ 'Kill your speed, or live with it' ~ DfT's 'Road Safety Compliance Consultation' (closes on 27 February 2009)
DH: The biggest health survey of children's health - 'How Are the Kids?' – has been launched. Around 11m surveys will be sent out from 2 February 2009, asking families in England to give information about their eating & activity habits - in return they will receive a specially tailored plan to help them eat well, move more & live longer.
It's a well known fact that, without intervention, nine out of ten children could be overweight or obese by 2050 if current trends continue. At present, almost a third of 10 and 11-year-olds are overweight or obese.
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