Policy Statements and Initiatives
CLG: Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, has announced a toughening up of rules governing taxpayer-funded council newspapers. The goal is to ensure a robust & healthy independent local press can continue to scrutinise the activities of local councils.
Council publicity can be an effective way for councils to communicate with their residents on council business and activity. However, there are concerns that too many of these papers are branching into non-council content such as TV listings and sports reviews; that the councils dress up their literature as 'independent' publications; and the frequency of the free, delivered newspapers undermines commercial local newspapers.
Subject to consultation the new Government is minded to revise & tighten the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, which was originally introduced in 1988 and amended by the last Government in 2001. It is statutory guidance to local authorities & the Secretary of State is legally obliged to consult on the revised code.
Press release ~ Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity ~ Tax Payers Alliance (then search site for; Council spending uncovered: Publicity, December 2008) ~ AC: Council periodicals and other communication with the public
CLG: Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, has written to council leaders to tell them that he has instructed the Audit Commission and 5 other local inspectorates to stop costly top-down reports officially known as the Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA).
Ministers believe that ending CAA will save the Audit Commission £10m and councils will also feel the financial benefit, as independent research put the average annual cost of reporting back to government at £1.8m. In 2006 the National Audit Office estimated the overall cost of monitoring local government at £2bn a year.
Leicestershire councils found they had 90 FT staff collecting & processing more than 3,000 individual data items for central government at a cost of £3.7m a year. They also faced 83 different inspections every year.
Leicestershire councils found they had 90 FT staff collecting & processing more than 3,000 individual data items for central government at a cost of £3.7m a year. They also faced 83 different inspections every year.
Press release ~ Audit Commission response to the Localis report - For good measure ~ Abolition of Comprehensive Area Assessments video transcript ~ Greg Clark - Abolition of CAAs video transcript
ScotGov: A £3.9m plan to increase cycling numbers and have 10% of all journeys by bike by 2020 has been unveiled. The Cycling Action Plan for Scotland aims to expand cycle routes across the country and improve cycle training in schools.
ScotGov: A new scheme to better safeguard vulnerable groups and simplify & speed up the disclosure process will come into effect from 30 November 2010. A package of training & guidance materials has also been launched, including a new helpline (0870 609 6006), to help those who will work with the new system.
The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme is a new membership scheme that will replace current disclosure arrangements for people who work with children or vulnerable groups. The new helpline commenced on 30 June 2010 and, over the coming months, additional training materials will be made available to help individuals & organisations plan for the introduction of the PVG Scheme.
Similar changes have been proposed in England, Wales & Northern Ireland through the Vetting & Barring Scheme - VBS. On June 15, 2010, the UK Government announced it will undertake a review of the scheme.
Press release ~ Disclosure Scotland (includes guidance) ~ PVGS ~ ScotGov: Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme
Defra: The delivery of public services, for which Defra is responsible, will be shaken up to line up with the coalition Government’s commitments on service delivery. Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, has announced that, as part of the review of Defra’s arms length bodies, the Commission for Rural Communities will be abolished, with a strengthened Rural Communities Policy Unit within Defra.
Mrs Spelman also announced that Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency would be merged as soon as possible, with a single Chief Executive for the new agency will be appointed this summer.
CLG: In a joint letter sent to councils & business leaders, Business Secretary, Vince Cable and Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, have asked them to consider forming new local enterprise partnerships (replacing the current Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) that can ‘provide strategic leadership in their local areas and create the right environment for business success and economic growth’.
Press release ~ Letter to Local Authority leaders and business leaders - 29 June 2010
Press release ~ Letter to Local Authority leaders and business leaders - 29 June 2010
