Policy Statements and Initiatives
CLG: Councils have not used a legal power that could help their area ‘ride out’ tough economic times, the Government has claimed. Local Government Minister John Healey, in a letter to council chiefs, urged them to consider using this ‘wellbeing power’ to support their communities during the current economic climate.
Newly published research highlights the low take-up of this legal power. The wellbeing power is a general power of competence, permitting councils to do anything except raise tax to promote the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their area.
It can save councils from checking through numerous different laws and enables them to focus on achieving their goals, unless it's specifically prohibited by legislation. However, while 90% councils are aware of the power, fewer than one in twelve are using it.
Press release ~ Evaluation of the take-up and use of the Well-Being Power: Research Summary ~ Practical use of the Well-Being Power ~ County Council Networks conference
DH: An organ donation awareness campaign that will hopefully see nearly half the population recruited on the organ donor register has been announced by Health Secretary Alan Johnson. He welcomed the Organ Donation Taskforce Group report, which does not recommend introducing an ‘opt out’ system for organ donation in the UK at this time.
The report - 'The potential impact of an opt out system in the UK' - has concluded that introducing an opt out or 'presumed consent' system in the UK at the present time, whilst having the potential to deliver benefits, may not increase organ donation rates and might cause significant complications.
Press release ~ 'The potential impact of an opt out system in the UK' ~ Organ Donation Taskforce Group ~ UK Transplant ~ Donate Wales – Tell a Loved One campaign ~
ScotGov: Scotland's universities will play a key role in helping the country recover from the current economic downturn, the Scottish Government has claimed as the work of the joint university taskforce's drew to a close. Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary Fiona Hyslop, co-chair of the taskforce, was speaking after the endorsement of New Horizons as the Taskforce's final position.
She also confirmed the Scottish Cabinet has supported the taskforce's recommendation that universities should be a key economic sector in their own right, becoming the 'seventh sector' in Scotland, in recognition of the vital contribution they can make to delivering the Government's Economic Strategy.
New Horizons will also modernise the way in which 3 parties to the taskforce - the Scottish Funding Council, Universities Scotland and ScotGov, will work together in the future and how universities will be funded.
Press release ~ New Horizons ~ The Final report ~ Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities ~ 'Seventh sector' in Scotland ~ Scottish Funding Council ~ SFC response - November 2008 ~ Universities Scotland
Defra: A £750,000 campaign to increase conservation volunteering is being launched by Defra to help more people who want to do their bit for the natural environment & wildlife get involved in local projects. Working with a range of voluntary organisations and other bodies, Defra will roll out the initiative in the coming months in partnership with the Department of Health's Change4Life campaign.
Defra is also giving more than £1m to a new fund to improve local recording of wildlife across England, providing people with better access to information collected in different parts of the country. The Defra Fund for Local Biodiversity Recording will boost the work of the National Biodiversity Network.
In addition, Defra has launched the most comprehensive survey of Britain's countryside and its natural resources. The Countryside Survey maps changes to the landscape and wildlife habitats, showing where some species of plants that birds & insects feed on have increased or decreased.
Press release ~ Change4Life campaign ~ Countryside Survey ~ National Biodiversity Network ~ Defra - Biodiversity
WAG: Up to 400 new sustainable homes will be built across Wales as part of a unique project announced by the Welsh Assembly Government. The £80m scheme will see 22 schemes being constructed in both urban and rural locations. All the properties will be built to the highest green standards, known as levels 4 and 5 of the Code for Sustainable Houses.
The initiative is direct response to one of the first five steps recommended by the Essex Report into affordable housing in Wales.
Press release ~ Code for Sustainable Houses ~ Essex Report into affordable housing in Wales ~ Sustainable solutions for Wales ~ WAG – Design and construction ~ WAG – Sustainable Development ~ Sustainable Development Commission ~ Design Commission for Wales ~ BREEAM excellent standard
DH: 18 new projects will have access to a £5.5m pot to come up with innovative new ways of helping people from marginalised communities cope with diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The projects form the second wave of 'Pacesetters' - a scheme set up in 2007 to improve the health & wellbeing of people in deprived areas. The new Pacesetters are free to come up with innovative ideas, but must focus on specific serious conditions.
Successful projects in wave one include:
* designing services for deaf communities through the first British Sign Language (BSL) care plans
* increasing breast screening rates for women with learning disabilities in Walsall
* improving experiences for people with learning disabilities staying in hospital
Press release ~ NHS Networks - Pacesetters ~ DH – Pacesetters ~ A Dialogue of Equals - The Pacesetters programme Community Engagement Guide
ScotGov: A £1m fund to help aspiring social entrepreneurs launch new ventures is ready to begin operating from March 2009. The £1m Social Entrepreneurs Fund will provide support to help get new social enterprises off the ground with individuals setting-up & running businesses with a social and/or environmental purpose eligible to apply.
The purpose of the fund (which will be delivered by Firstport) is to help build capacity, capability and financial sustainability in the Third Sector, ensuring it reaches its full potential and contributes to creating a more successful Scotland.
Press release ~ Firstport ~ UnLtd awards programme ~ The Melting Pot ~ ScotGov – Third Sector Voluntary issues
NA: The National Archives has highlighted the publication by the Civil Service of a new strategy to ‘help government seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of managing knowledge & information in a digital era’. The development of the strategy - Information Matters: building government´s capability in managing knowledge and information - has been led by the cross-government Knowledge Council.
Information Matters is intended to help develop the framework, tools and capabilities for knowledge & information management, which will enable all civil servants to meet the challenge of delivering effective and efficient public services while simultaneously protecting individuals´ privacy.
Press release ~
BERR: The Government has launched the Aspire Fund - a £25m investment fund for women-led businesses - to be jointly funded by the Government and private sector. The fund is intended to act as a beacon to encourage women with businesses to seek appropriate equity finance and will also demonstrate to the business community what investment opportunities already exist from businesses being run by women.
The Fund will be accessed via Business Link and managed by Capital for Enterprise Limited.
Press release ~ Enterprise: unlocking the UK's talent ~ Business Link ~ Women's Enterprise Task Force ~ Everywoman ~
ScotGov: Scotland's town & city centres are the 'heartbeat of our economy', the Vital and Vibrant Town Centres conference in Stirling was told last week, when Finance Secretary, John Swinney, announced an increase in funding for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) - a scheme that sees businesses work together to promote and improve their local area.
Mr Swinney also launched the new Scotland’s Towns website, which is supported by the Scottish Government as a portal to useful information & good practice on town centres and high streets in Scotland.
