Policy Statements and Initiatives
BERR: The Government has published its response to the Competition Commission's (CC) inquiry into UK groceries retailing, which concluded that in many respects UK retailers are delivering a good deal for consumers, but action was needed to improve competition in local markets and to improve relationships between retailers and their suppliers.
Consumer Affairs Minister, Gareth Thomas said: “I thank the Competition Commission for such an extensive and thorough investigation. Many of the measures they have identified will benefit consumers and I hope that they can implement them quickly. Further work, dialogue and consultation will take place on the recommendations put to Government."
HO: The Home Office has published proposals for much tighter rules for foreign students. Under the student tier of its new Points Based System, all colleges & universities that want to recruit foreign students will now need a licence to do so and face a ban on bringing if they fail to follow the new rules - including alerting the UK Border Agency (UKBA) if students fail to enrol.
Before they can study here, foreign students must:
* be sponsored by a UKBA-licensed education institution
* prove that they have the means to support themselves and their families while studying here
* supply their fingerprints
In recognition of the many economic and cultural benefits that these students bring to the UK, earlier this year the Government announced a special visa category allowing successful international students who have graduated from a British university to work in the UK for up to two years.
Press release ~ Statement of intent for tier 4 of the points-based system ~ UK Border Agency – Studying in the UK ~ Sponsor Register open to all ~ Points-based system - key documents ~
DIUS: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have published two documents:
* The first, Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver - Summary of the Events and Written Responses summarises the responses to the recent consultation on the proposed Machinery of Government reforms.
* The second, Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver - Update and Next Steps lays out the next steps following the consultation and answers some of the most FAQs about the proposed new arrangements, including how the new Skills Funding Agency and Young People's Learning Agency will work together. The national offices of both will be based in Coventry.
These reforms will require legislation, which will be included in the Education and Skills Bill (session four) due to be published in draft later this year.
Press release ~ Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver: Summary of the Events and Written Responses ~ Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver: Update and next steps ~ Closed consultation: Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver
Cabinet Office: Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, has welcomed the positive contributions to the Government's consultation on establishing a £10m fund for risk capital investment in social enterprises.
The consultation raised a number of issues that the Government has considered & addressed in its published response. As a result, improvements have been made to the proposals for appointing and reimbursing the fund manager or managers.
Press release ~ Risk capital fund for social enterprise ~ Social Enterprise Coalition ~ Cabinet Office – Social Enterprise ~
DCMS: A new 20,000 capacity performance space, a revitalised Napoleonic fort and improved facilities at a world class heritage site will all go ahead in England's coastal towns following the award of over £10m from the Government's Sea Change programme.
These are the first grants to be awarded in the three year programme, which will give £45m to coastal resorts and is being led by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).
WAG: Preparations are well underway in the 4 Local Authorities - Wrexham, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil and Torfaen - selected to take part in the two year Appetite for Life Action Research Project, which will be overseen by the Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice at the University of Bath, who will develop & test the guidelines for implementing the new food and nutritional standards outlined in the Welsh Assembly Government’s Appetite for Life Action Plan.
Local authorities not involved in the project will be able to apply for a specific grant scheme to support their progression towards the new standards contained in the Appetite for Life Action Plan. A total of £6.6m has been made available over the two years to support this work and the action research project.
Press release ~ WAG - Appetite for Life ~ Centre for Action Research in Professional Practice – U. of Bath ~ Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes ~ Nutritional strategy for Wales ‘Food and Well Being’ ~ ’Food in schools - a short guide for parents and carers’ ~ Food in Schools website ~ DH Food in schools ~ Directgov: Nutrition and school lunches
