Policy Statements and Initiatives
Cabinet Office: The Government has pledged £42.5m to help volunteers, charities and social enterprises deliver extra real help to those that need it most, during the global economic downturn. The action plan for the third sector sets out a package of support that includes measures to help hundreds of voluntary organisations, charities, and social enterprises step up advice, support and volunteering in the areas that need it most across the country.
CRC: The Commission for Rural Communities has highlighted the government’s response to the Rural Advocate's report on releasing the economic potential of rural areas. The Secretary of State spoke at the CRC summit on how innovation in rural areas can be encouraged to help drive stronger rural economies, which was jointly hosted with The Northern Way and the northern RDAs.
Press release ~ Summit ~ The Northern Way ~ Northern RDAs ~ Hilary Benn's speech ~
DFID: The UK is providing a further £1.8m for life-saving support to vulnerable groups including children and old people living in Gaza, International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, has announced. The money is part of the Government's £27m humanitarian support package and will help 4 aid agencies assist in meeting the urgent needs of the men, women and children who have been injured, made homeless or otherwise affected by the recent fighting.
The agencies will provide medical aid, food and water, as well as help to rebuild the region. This will include reconstruction of water supplies and destroyed buildings, counselling for people suffering from trauma and help for vulnerable groups such as the disabled and elderly.
Press release ~ Dept. for International Development ~ Islamic Relief ~ Welfare Association ~ Action Against Hunger ~ Handicap International ~ The Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) ~ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
Defra / PCS: Tyneside will be the home of the headquarters of a new body – the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) - to regulate and manage the sea around England. The MMO, part of the government's Marine and Coastal Access Bill, will be a centre of expertise that will contribute to sustainable development, streamline regulation and improve enforcement.
The Marine and Fisheries Agency currently has around 200 staff in its London HQ and 18 coastal offices. The new HQ will create more than 40 new posts. It is not yet known how many existing MFA HQ staff will relocate to the new location. The MMO is expected to be vested on 1 April 2010.
PCS, who represent staff working for the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), criticised the plans to relocate the organisation out of London to Tyneside. Expressing concerns over the business plan supporting the MFA proposals, the union highlighted the recent relocation of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to Newport.
The move cost an estimated £100,000 per post to relocate, leading the union to warn that the relocation of MFA to Tyneside could end up costing the taxpayer more than any projected savings. With many staff in the MFA unwilling to uproot their families to relocate the union went on to warn that people would effectively be forced out of a job, resulting in an organisational brain drain.
Defra press release ~ PCS press release ~ Defra - Marine and Coastal Access Bill ~ Marine and Fisheries Agency ~ PCS
WAG: Environment Minister Jane Davidson has asked Welsh Assembly Government officials to start work on legislation to put an end to the use of free one-trip plastic bags in Wales. Officials will be undertaking the necessary work for possible regulation under the provisions of the Climate Change Act.
WAG: A new plan to strengthen the social enterprise sector in Wales has been launched recently by Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews. The Social Enterprise Action Plan sets out how the Welsh Assembly Government will work with partner organisations to promote social enterprises in Wales to create a thriving sector that will support community & economic regeneration and create local jobs.
The plan contains 20 key actions to help the sector expand, to grow existing ventures and help new social enterprises to become established. A new organisation to champion social enterprise and deliver key parts of the plan will be established. Social Enterprise Coalition Cymru will run a major awareness raising campaign, recruit pathfinder enterprises to help other organisations develop, encourage young social entrepreneurs and host key conferences on social enterprise.
