Policy Statements and Initiatives
BIS: The Government has announced more detail on its plans for a new system of flexible parental leave to help parents balance their work & family commitments. In the coming weeks BIS will be launching a consultation on a new properly flexible system of shared parental leave, that they aim to introduce in 2015. The consultation will also consider how best to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.
ScotGov: A new campaign aimed at informing parents of the health benefits of children participating in 60 minutes of physical activity a day kicked off last week. The 'Take Life On' initiative will feature TV & radio adverts and a dedicated website highlighting the importance of the '60 minutes' message and simple steps on how parents can work with their children to achieve this.
HO: The Policing Minister, Nick Herbert has told the Financial Times newspaper that government will improve its approach to tackling corporate fraud. In an interview published last week, he said that the Home Office will lead a project to create a single Economic Crime Agency. A consultation with key stakeholders will take place later this year. It is estimated by the National Fraud Authority that fraud costs the UK £30bn a year.
DCMS: The Government is committed to transferring responsibility for London’s 8 Royal Parks, currently managed by the DCMS, to London’s Mayor. In a statement of intent, published last week, the Government said that there would be full democratic accountability to Londoners with the Parks getting a high-profile champion. Clear links would also be established between their management and other London-wide issues such as planning, transport, tourism, the environment and leisure.
ScotGov: A range of new initiatives to improve the protection of Scotland's most vulnerable children have been announced. They arise out of a comprehensive review of child protection procedures across Scotland and build on national child protection guidance issued in December 2010 (Details - see press release).
HO: Retailers will be banned from selling alcohol below the rate of duty + VAT under new plans announced by the Home Office last week. To tackle the growing concern over how cheaply some alcoholic drinks are being sold, the government intends to introduce a new proposal which would prevent retailers from selling a 1 litre bottle of vodka (37.5% abv) for less than £10.71 and a 440ml can of lager (4.2% abv) for less than £0.38.
The government's review of pricing and associated research reports can be found in the alcohol pricing section of the Home Office website.
DfT: Local authorities are set to receive a £560m funding boost for sustainable transport projects to help create economic growth and reduce carbon emissions. Full details of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund have been published in a Government white paper ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon’ which aims to encourage greater use of public transport and more walking & cycling.
The Local Sustainable Transport Fund is now 1 of just 4 grant streams for local transport funding. This is part of the simplification & reform of local transport funding to support the localism agenda, reducing the number of funding streams from nearly 30 to just 4.
Press release ~ White Paper: Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon - Making Sustainable Local Transport Happen ~ Local Sustainable Transport Fund: Guidance on application process ~ Local Authority allocations for bikeability funding
BIS: Further Education, Skills & Lifelong Learning Minister, John Hayes, has announced new measures to guarantee the quality of the Government's flagship Apprenticeship programme, ensuring every apprenticeship delivers training that directly meets the needs of employers and learners.
The Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England will ensure:
The Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England will ensure:
* All apprenticeships deliver high quality, nationally-recognised qualifications relevant to the skill, trade or occupation of the learner & employer
* All apprenticeships offer individuals appropriate training to achieve a good standard of literacy & numeracy (and ICT where relevant to the skill, trade or occupation)
* Every apprentice will receive at least 280 hours of guided learning per year.
Press release ~ Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England ~ Specification of apprenticeship standards for England - guidance ~ Government’s Strategy for Skills
DH: Treatment of around 20,000 people who suffer major trauma each year is set to improve as the Government announces significant new investment into trauma & microbiology research. A new £20m initiative will bring both military & civilian trauma surgeons and scientists together to share innovation in medical research & advanced clinical practice in the battlefield to benefit all trauma patients in the NHS at an early stage of injury.
The new National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) for surgical reconstruction and microbiology will be set up at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where all injured service personnel are currently treated after evacuation from the frontline in Afghanistan.
Press release ~ Related MoD press release (see also ‘Related links’) ~ Defence trauma and rehabilitation services - "exemplary" ~ Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham ~ Civilian Trauma Care And The Defence Medical Services - A Prospectus For Partnership?
DfE: MPs voted last week on the Government’s plans to end the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 16- to 18-year-old pupils in education or training. Colleges, schools & training providers will receive an enhanced discretionary learner fund so that they can target pupils most in need of financial support to stay in education post-16.
Young people currently receiving the EMA will continue to receive it for the rest of the 2010/2011 academic year only. LAs have a statutory duty to make sure that no young person in their area is prevented from attending education post-16, because of a lack of transport or support for it.
HMT: The Government has published further details of a new Finance Transformation Programme which will make financial implications inherent to every decision taken in the public sector. The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Justine Greening, set out the foundations for this programme at the Government Finance Profession’s annual training event and these were published last week in Managing Taxpayers’ Money Wisely.
WAG: Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones, has launched a new campaign to encourage people to discover what is going on at their local library. The 'Fancy that' campaign encourages all generations of the family to try something new at the library.
From now until the end of January 2011 there are lots of events for all the family happening in libraries across Wales. Take time out with yoga and pamper sessions; learn about your family history or take your first steps to using a computer. Alternatively, come and have a bit of fun and try out a new arts & craft activity.
CLG: Communities Minister, Andrew Stunell, said last week that church leaders are in a unique position to connect people from different faith groups and to get communities involved in local action.
Church leaders have been encouraged to identify any barriers they encounter when providing services to the community - such as any regulations, byelaws, planning rules or legislation in the way of community action. An online barrier busting service was launched by DCLG last year. This allows councils, community groups and individuals to submit information on bureaucratic barriers standing in the way of community action in their area.
ScotGov: A new campaign (the Play, Talk, Read campaign) to encourage parents & carers to play, talk & read to their young children to help give them the best start in life, has been launched. The Play Talk Read website has been updated for this year's campaign including tips & advice with digital books, an online community, interactive videos, games and promotions.
9 TV infomercials featuring parents telling their Play, Talk, Read stories are also being aired. A Play, Talk, Read DVD is available to parents & carers FREE through the website and is also being distributed through the infomercials & roadshows.
CLG: Housing Minister, Grant Shapps last week offered older social housing tenants struggling to manage & heat their large family homes a dedicated officer to find them smaller properties more suited to their needs. In addition, a moving service would help tenants with every aspect of moving, from joining them on viewings to organising packing & removal services, plus handymen would be available to decorate & make repairs to their new home, including putting up shelves & installing white goods
There are 430,000 under-occupied social homes in England - where tenants have two or more bedrooms more than they require. In many cases, these properties are occupied by elderly tenants whose children have since grown up & moved out. With more room than they actually need, many of these residents are finding it a struggle to look after & heat the properties that are now too big for them to manage.
MoD: The Ministry of Defence has announced changes to the allowances paid to Armed Forces personnel for expenses incurred during service. The Prime Minister set out the need to reduce allowances as part of the wider 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Savings of £250m a year from the current annual Service allowances bill of £880m have been identified following an extensive review of the system.
All ‘actual, unavoidable expenses incurred for Service reasons’ will continue to be reimbursed. Allowances paid for ‘operations & separation from families’ have remained the highest priorities for reimbursement and lower earners have been protected as much as possible. A full list of affected allowances and an explanation of the changes to them is available in the 'Summary of changes to allowances' document at Related Links.
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