Policy Statements and Initiatives
BIS: The government has published its Strategy for Low Carbon Businesses. The strategy follows from Building Britain’s Future: New Industry, New Jobs, and sets out how the Government aims to ensure that the transition to low carbon is a source of quality jobs & business savings in Britain.
The strategy identifies a range of low carbon sectors with potential for job creation & growth. These include: wave and tidal power; civil nuclear power; offshore wind; and ultra-low carbon vehicles. It also sets out the Government’s strategy for removing barriers that are blocking the development of Britain’s full potential in these areas.
The strategy recognises that local & regional strengths offer a good foundation to realise future economic benefits for Britain. The first Low Carbon Economic Area in the South West of England will create a business & skills focus on marine energy demonstration, servicing and manufacture.
The strategy also recognises that there are challenges for the workforce particularly for those in high carbon industries. The Government will create a new Forum for a Just Transition to advise on how to address the issues, with representatives from Central Government, national, local & regional bodies, Trade Unions, business organisations and third sector bodies.
Press release ~ Low Carbon Industrial Strategy: A vision ~ Low Carbon Business Opportunities ~ Building Britain’s Future: New Industry, New Jobs ~ Low Carbon Economic Area in the South West of England ~ Strategy Ultra Low-Carbon Vehicles in the UK ~ New Industry New Jobs strategy
WAG: A new £25m investment to generate jobs & leisure opportunities based on the outstanding wildlife & landscape of North and West Wales has been announced. The monies will be made available through two flag ship schemes:
* Communities and Nature (CAN) Strategic Project
* Wales Coastal Path
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "Yesterday, we launched a Green Jobs Strategy for Wales ………. This latest investment also demonstrates how this Government wants to use our natural environment in Wales to create economic opportunities through leisure and tourism - providing valuable, sustainable jobs in areas and communities where they are needed."
Press release ~ Green Jobs Strategy for Wales ~
WAG: A new joint agreement on flooding reached between the Welsh Assembly Government and the insurance industry will give homes & businesses greater protection against the impact of flooding. Ministers and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have agreed to work together to improve the management of flood risks and to help people recover more quickly when flooding occurs.
The agreement outlines how the WAG and the ABI will work together to provide a long term solution to enable flood insurance to continue to be made as widely available by putting in place a long-term strategy (of over 25 years) to reduce flood risk and encourage action to mitigate & minimise the risks & costs of flooding.
Previous agreements have been made between the ABI and UK Government and did not always reflect the circumstances in Wales. This agreement will be reviewed annually.
Press release ~ WAG - Flood and Coastal Risk Management in Wales ~ Housing Cymru ~ < font size="2">EA – Prepare for Flooding
HO: Plans to create a more hostile environment for organised criminals, seize their assets and shut down their businesses were part of a strategy to step up the fight against serious organised crime published by Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, recently.
The new strategy - Extending Our Reach: A Comprehensive Approach to Serious Organised Crime - follows an assessment of how criminals are exploiting new global trends and outlines new approaches for the Government & law enforcement agencies. Serious & organised crime is a multi-billion pound global business: trafficking in drugs & people, fraud & financial crime cost the UK Exchequer alone in the region of £30bn a year.
As well as a new emphasis on using all powers available to tackle organised criminals, the strategy sets out plans to create a new strategic body within the Home Office to drive the proposals forward, scrutinise performance and take the lead across the Government.
Press release ~ Extending Our Reach: A Comprehensive Approach to Serious Organised Crime ~ Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) ~ Regional Asset Recovery Teams ~ HO – Serious & Organised Crime
WAG: The Welsh Assembly Government has announced an extra £100,000 funding to support the National Dignity in Care Action Plan, which will include providing a programme of regional training events across Wales. A National Dignity in Care Co-ordinating Group was set up in October 2007 to ensure good practice in relation to promoting dignity and respect across the health and social care sectors.
Press release ~ WAG - Older people ~ WAG - Care ~ The National Service Framework for Older People in Wales : Position Statement and 2009/10 outline ~
BIS: A new Blueprint to ‘put innovation at the heart of healthcare delivery’ has been launched by Lord Drayson and Lord Darzi. The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) Blueprint sets out to transform the UK environment for life sciences companies and ensure faster patient access to cutting-edge medicines and technologies.
In addition there will be a 3-year ‘Innovation Pass’ scheme, which will be a initiative for selected medicines that will be funded for time-limited use across the NHS, from a new ring-fenced budget, without going through a NICE appraisal. NICE will play a key role in developing & applying eligibility criteria for the Pass.
This will give earlier access to innovative drugs for patients with the greatest need. The Pass will be piloted with a budget of £25m in 2010/2011. The pilot will be developed with input from industry, NICE & the NHS and will be the subject of consultation by November 2009.
WAG: Plans to improve access to occupational health services in Wales to help tackle absenteeism & ill-health in the workplace have been announced. The economic cost of sickness & absenteeism among the working age population is over £100bn a year in the UK, while work-related ill health costs the Welsh economy more than £500m per year. The One Wales programme included a commitment to explore proposals to place occupational health services on a statutory basis.
Press release ~ One Wales Occupational Health Task and Finish Group Report ~ Wales Centre for Health ~ WAG - Health and social care ~ A study to determine the level of occupational health activity in Wales (2006) ~ Events: Great Expectations - Occupational Health - A New Era (29 September 2009)
Defra: Environment Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, has pledged that action will be taken on surface water drainage charges, sometimes referred to as the ‘rain tax’. The charges are a way of charging non-domestic properties for surface water drainage based on the ‘site area’ of the property rather than its rateable value.
Mr Irranca-Davies said: “We all agree that something is clearly wrong if Scout groups, churches and community organisations face huge hikes in their water bills……. As we have repeatedly made clear, some companies have been charging people in a way that doesn’t meet the guidance and is not fair and equitable. Following meetings with ministers, United Utilities placed a year-long moratorium on these charges. And I could not be more clear that Ofwat and water companies must resolve the issue……..
I’m determined the Scouts and other organisations are not met with huge bills this year or next so I hope that water companies will come up an acceptable solution without the need for anything else. Any group or organisation who feels that their bill is wrong should contact Ofwat who have agreed to take it up with the water company on their behalf.”
ScotGov: A 'record high' of nearly 40,000 Scottish Primary 5 children have been introduced to golf for the first time through the Government funded clubgolf initiative. Already, this year 38,784 P5 pupils have been introduced to the game through clubgolf's introductory game, which uses modified equipment to give children a taste of the sport in school. This figure is 7% of the total number of P5s in Scotland and represents an increase of 15% over last year's participation figures.
Launched in 2003, following Scotland's successful bid to host the 2014 Ryder Cup, clubgolf has been developed as a direct result of the ScotGov's commitment to introduce every 9-year-old child to golf.
DH: Carers across the country will be given better access to healthchecks, more support from the NHS and more opportunities to take time off thanks to a £16m demonstration programme. From October 2009, 25 demonstrator sites will test different ways of supporting people who care for friends or family.
The sites will look at:
* helping carers take time off or go on holiday through a ‘choose & book’ website and a ‘valuing our carers’ discount scheme for travel, holidays, sports and leisure activities
* providing healthchecks, at locations that fit in with the carer’s schedule
* providing paid replacement care so carers are able to take breaks
* teaching carers stress management techniques, giving advice on healthy eating and smoking cessation to carers in their own homes
* supporting carers more effectively through the NHS, for example, by ensuring that the NHS considers carers’ needs when booking & holding GP & hospital appointments and involving carers when making hospital discharge arrangements
ScotGov: A new child-friendly training scheme is helping single parents to gain new skills and get back into work. The scheme offers qualifications for healthy cooking, budgeting & hygiene training, with an on-site crèche providing free child care. The new skills help single parents back on the road to employment and benefit home life by providing economical healthy cooking ideas & skills.
The 101 training scheme delivers the course one afternoon a week, spread over 6 weeks. It aims to provide training for 100 single parents every year and is also set to deliver a new sports course, which will give single parents the skills for community leisure leadership positions.
The first six mums to benefit from the Dundee based scheme - supported by the Scottish Government Fairer Scotland Fund – have just received their SVQ certificates from Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil.
DfT: Transport currently makes up 21% of all UK domestic carbon emissions. A new strategy entitled - Low carbon transport: a greener future - sets out the policies & proposals for reducing transport sector emissions through to 2022. It also frames the debate for the longer-term decarbonisation of transport to give people and businesses more low carbon choices about when, where & how to travel or transport goods.
It sets out how an additional 85m tonnes of CO2 from domestic transport can be saved from 2018-2022 by:
* supporting a shift to new technologies & fuels
* promoting lower carbon choices
* using market mechanisms to encourage the shift to lower carbon transport
A proposed eligibility criteria for the £2-5,000 consumer incentives for electric & plug-in hybrid cars, is expected to apply from 2011. This includes the requirement for the vehicle to have maximum tailpipe emissions of 75g CO2/km. An update has also been published on the infrastructure framework which is supporting this scheme.
Press release ~ Low carbon transport: a greener future ~ Ultra low carbon cars: Next steps on delivering the consumer incentive programme for electric and plug-in hybrid cars ~ DfT: Low carbon and electric vehicles
Cabinet Office: The Prime Minister has set out a number of measures to address the key nuclear challenges of the modern era and to lead international efforts to promote greater global nuclear security. The Road to 2010 paper published last week sets out a plan of action across the full range of global nuclear challenges. It sets out a detailed plan of action by the UK – in partnership with other countries – in the run up to next year when the world will gather to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Press release ~ Road to 2010 paper ~ Statement on nuclear non-proliferation ~ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ~ Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ~ Consultation on the ‘Restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive’s Nuclear Directorate’ (closes on 22 September 2009) ~ Safety Executive’s Nuclear Directorate ~ BIS – Nuclear Energy ~ UK Global Threat Reduction Programme 2008 annual report ~ Global Threat Reduction Programme ~ CNS ~ US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration
DECC: Community projects aimed at reducing carbon & and developing clean, local energy sources are set to receive up to £20,000 funding under a new partnership between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts).
The collaboration will see direct funding & support packages, worth a total of £600,000, provided by DECC to 17 grassroots projects across England. NESTA will administer the scheme.
Press release ~ Department of Energy and Climate Change ~ NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) ~ Big Green Challenge Plus
ScotGov: Leading supermarkets and their Scottish customers have virtually met a challenging target to halve the number of single-use carrier bags handed out. New figures, announced by the British Retail Consortium and the Scottish Government, show a 49.4% reduction in the number of bags handed out by Asda, the Co-operative Group (including ScotMid), Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco and Waitrose.
This is the equivalent of nearly 39m million bags less in May 2009, compared to May 2006: comparable to the weight of 45 African elephants (as used in the Scottish Government's marketing campaign). ScotGov agreed with the supermarkets the voluntary target of a 50% reduction by May 2009. The target was subsequently adopted across the rest of the UK.
