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Policy Statements and Initiatives
ScotGov: The Calman Commission which has been examining the experience of 10 years of Scottish devolution has published its final report. Constitution Minister Michael Russell responded: "The Scottish Government welcome any proposals for additional responsibilities for the Scottish Parliament and Government - as part of the overall powers that Scotland needs as an independent nation. And we support a number of the Calman Commission's specific recommendations - such as devolving responsibility for air weapons, drink-drive limits, and indeed the running of Scottish Parliament elections - while rejecting any suggestion of transferring any powers back to Westminster…………
Scotland needs full fiscal autonomy, allowing this country to raise all the money it spends and take the big economic decisions. That is the best and simplest solution - anything else risks being a messy fudge. Borrowing powers for Scotland are to be welcomed, although the Calman proposals are too limited. ………………
In particular, the failure to recommend giving Scotland any control over its own oil and gas resources is extremely disappointing. It runs entirely counter to the findings of the Calman Commission's own expert group, which said that Scotland was entitled to a 90% share ……… worth around £30bn over the next 5 years, at a time when the UK Government is planning to cut £500m a year from Scotland's budget”.
Press release ~ Join the National Conversation ~ Commission on Scottish Devolution (Calman) ~ Scottish Labour party response ~ Scottish Conservative party response ~ Scottish Liberal Democrats
ScotGov: The Scottish Government is to double the number of Modern Apprenticeships in the hospitality sector by opening the apprenticeship to all ages of applicants. This follows an announcement earlier in 2009 to make all-age support available for the Professional Cookery Framework and provides increased skills support for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector across Scotland.
The decision to open the scheme to adults is part of ScotAction - the Scottish Government's skills support package to help support Scotland's economy out of recession and back to economic growth.
WAG: An expert group has been set up to review pharmacy services across Wales as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to develop community pharmacy services and pharmacy-based drop-in centres.
The Task & Finish Group will look at all aspects of the current Community Pharmacy contract and how community pharmacists can play a greater role in delivering high quality healthcare to Welsh patients. It will also look at the provision of enhanced services from community pharmacies, with a view to standardising the availability & specifications of those services across Local Health Board areas.
In addition, the Group will focus on how to reduce the amount of medication wasted each year in Wales and will be looking specifically at chronic conditions management and admission & discharge to and from hospital. The T&F group is due to submit a draft report to the National Advisory Board in July 2009, with a final report expected by November 2009.
Press release ~ Community Pharmacy Wales ~ Welsh Directorate of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society ~ National Pharmacy Association ~ WAG - Health and social care
HEFCE: Further details have been announced for the £20m national programme starting summer 2009 that aims to increase the number of students graduating from science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) courses. The programme also aims to make a significant contribution to meeting the skills needs of local economies.
Using £20 million from HEFCE, with a further £1 million from HEFCW, and running for three years, the National Higher Education STEM programme will be hosted by the
The programme will build on the activity, experience and expertise developed within 4 pilot projects: Chemistry for our Future, Stimulating Physics, the London Engineering Project and More Maths Grads.
Press release ~ STEM and the national programme ~ National HE STEM Programme ~ STEM Pilot Projects ~ HEFCW
ScotGov: New research to keep Scotland on track to meet ambitious renewables targets without damaging its unique marine environment will get under way this year. Marine Scotland has announced 3 projects looking at the potential impact of marine renewables on Scotland's biodiversity:
* A review of the potential impacts of renewable energy on Scotland's marine environment
* Estimates of collision risk of harbour porpoises & marine renewable devices at sites of high tidal stream energy
* The use of acoustic devices to warn marine mammals of tidal-stream energy renewable devices
Press release ~ The Saltire Prize ~ Marine Scotland ~ ScotGov – Marine renewable energy ~ European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney ~ Pre-Scoping Study to Determine Grid Requirements to Connect Renewable Energy off the Coasts of Northern Europe~ Scotland's Energy Future ~ Siadar wave energy station
ScotGov: A massive increase in clean, green energy and full take up of electric & alternative fuel vehicles is needed to drastically cut emissions by 2050 and transform Scotland into a low carbon economy. The measures are part of the Scottish Government's Climate Change Delivery Plan, which sets out a vision to meet the world leading Climate Change Bill target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050.
Four major transformational measures are envisioned:
* Low carbon electricity by 2030, through increased renewables & clean fossil fuels utilising carbon capture and storage technology
* Wholesale adoption of low carbon road vehicles and significant electrification of rail by 2050, with significant progress by 2030
* Low carbon heating by 2050, with significant progress by 2030, through reduced demand, better energy efficiency and a massive increase in renewable and low carbon heating systems;
* Fewer emissions from agricultural businesses, more woodland planting & appropriate protection for Scotland's carbon rich soils
The annual progress report on tackling climate change in Scotland has also been published. The report outlines key achievements in 2008-09 and provides an overview of Scottish, UK and EU level targets.
Press release ~ Climate Change Delivery Plan ~ Climate Change In Scotland Annual Report 2008-09 ~
ScotGov: Scots are being urged to ditch their inhibitions and talk to their partner about sex as part of a drive to cut unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The sexual health marketing campaign (which will be launched in July 2009)will be backed by a website providing facts, help & advice - with a light-hearted approach.
The main strand of the marketing campaign will be to encourage people to become more open about sex. There will be two further strands:
* one aimed at encouraging the wider use of long-lasting, reversible contraception
* the other at reducing rates of HIV
WAG: Andrew Davies, Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery, has been to see how an innovative scheme has helped get long-term unemployed people back to work. He met employees of Cwm Taf NHS Trust in Merthyr who have secured permanent jobs as a result of a pre-employment course for the long-term economically inactive.
The Trust has developed the course to help meet their continuing demand for hotel services, domestic and catering staff, bank health care assistants and administration posts. Partners such as Job Centre Plus, Remploy, Working Links and other community groups nominate participants for each course.
They attend an ‘Awareness Day’ and then a 10-day workshop with a guaranteed job interview. Participants are normally in receipt of incapacity benefit, are long term unemployed and have suffered depression or stress related problems. So far eleven courses have been held with one 160 participants, of whom 100 have gained employment with the Trust and 12 with other organisations.
Press release ~ Cwm Taf NHS Trust ~ WAG - Business and economy ~ WAG - Helping more people into jobs ~ WAG - creating better jobs and skills
WAG: The Welsh Assembly Government recently announced that it was going to seek new, more wide ranging powers to modernise social housing in line with its draft National Housing Strategy, Supporting People Strategy and Homelessness plans, as well as its work with partners to implement the Essex Review. All of these will be complete & published in the autumn 2009.
The new housing Legislative Competence Order will incorporate the aims of the Affordable Housing LCO to preserve social housing stock, which is being withdrawn from Parliament. It will also seek to modernise the system, meet tenants aspirations for home equity ownership and reform the Right to Buy scheme.
Press release ~ WAG - Implementing the Essex Review: next steps on affordable housing in Wales ~ Essex Review ~ WAG - Housing and community ~ WAG - Constitutional Affairs & Legislation Management ~ National Housing Strategy - Wales ~ WAG - Supporting People ~ National 10 Year Homelessness Plan Draft for Consultation ~ National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (No.5) Order 2008 (Affordable Housing)
ScotGov: By the 2080's summer temperatures in Scotland could increase by more than 3ºC if emissions continue at their present rate, according to projections published last week. Snowfall could also reduce by 60% or more in the mountains, and might stop completely in other parts of Scotland.
These are the key Scottish findings in the new UK Climate Projections 2009 study (UKCP 09) which looks at how the UK climate will change over coming decades. The Scottish Government is currently undertaking the second stage of the consultation process on its adaptation framework which closes on July 20, 2009.
Press release ~ UK Climate Projections 2009 study (UKCP 09) ~ ScotGov Climate Change Delivery Plan ~ Preparing for a Changing Climate: Second Consultation to Inform Scotland's Climate Change Adaptation Framework
DECC: A concerted programme of action in response to climate change is being pursued across the Government, led by DECC and DEFRA. Starting last week with the publication by DEFRA of the latest UK Climate Projections, Ministers will this summer set out the building blocks of a ‘five point plan’ designed both to reduce emissions at home & abroad and to protect and prepare for the changes that are already inevitable:
* Protecting the public from immediate risk
* Preparing for the future
* Limiting the severity of future climate change through a new international climate agreement
* Building a low carbon UK
* Supporting individuals, communities and businesses to play their part
What happens next:
* Late June – Publication of ‘The Road to Copenhagen’
* Summer – International Development White Paper
* Mid July – National Strategy for Climate and Energy
* Throughout July – Public engagement on climate change
Press release ~ UK Climate Projections 2009 study (UKCP 09) ~ ‘Countdown to Copenhagen’ in Wales’ ~ WAG - Climate change news ~ United Nations World Environment Day ~ UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn ~ The UK’s Fifth National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change ~ Consultation on draft guidance on how to measure and report your greenhouse gas emissions ~ Climate Change Act 2008 ~ Greenhouse Gas Protocol ~ World Resources Institute ~ World Business Council for Sustainable Development
ScotGov: Wide-ranging proposals to dramatically cut the number of deaths on Scotland's roads were announced by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson when he launched a new 10 year road safety framework for Scotland -Go Safe on Scotland's roads - it's everyone's responsibility.
Scotland will have its own road safety targets with new targets to reduce the number of serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 50% and the number of fatalities by 40% over the next decade. These are only interim targets, leading to an ultimate vision of a future where there are no road fatalities in Scotland.
New proposals for Scotland include:
* action to target young drivers
* a pilot of high tech devices which restrict vehicle speed to ensure speed limits cannot be exceeded
* examining the case for introducing greater restrictions on newly qualified drivers
* encouraging LAs to introduce 20mph zones in all residential areas
The framework also includes calls for changes in legislation - powers currently reserved to Westminster – which come as the Calman Commission recommends that some limited powers over drink-drive and speed limits be transferred to Scotland – See also ‘Policy Statements and Initiatives’ section for more on Calman Review.
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