Policy Statements and Initiatives
BIS: The costs of red tape on business will be slashed at double the present rate, Business Minister Michael Fallon said last week as he announced the latest Government blitz on bureaucracy. From January 2013, ‘every new regulation that imposes a new financial burden on firms must be offset by reductions in red tape that will save double those costs’.
The new ‘One-in, Two-out’ rule will be imposed across every Whitehall department and will apply to all domestic regulation affecting businesses & voluntary organisations.
It will replace ‘One-in, One-out’, which requires the costs of every new regulation to be matched by savings of an equivalent amount. This policy has already reduced net costs on business by almost £1bn since January 2011.
WAG: As Anti-bullying Week in Wales began, Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, and Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, announced their backing for a new Welsh Government campaign urging children & young people affected by bullying to seek help.
Since Meic, the National Advocacy & Advice helpline for children & young people in Wales went 24/7 in January last year, over 10,000 children & young people have contacted the helpline. To ensure the demands for the service continue to be met, Deputy Minister for Children & Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, recently announced a further £100,000 of funding for the helpline.
DCMS: The Culture Secretary has decided to renew the licences of Channel 3 & 5 for another 10 years, subject to negotiations. Ofcom will now begin discussions with the holders on the cost & terms.
CLG: Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis has set out how local retention of business rates will reward councils for local economic growth. The Local Government Finance Act 2012 creates a new model for funding local authorities from April 2013, linking their financial revenue to the decisions they take to support local firms & local jobs.
Local government will retain a 50% local share of business rates and then keep a 50% share of any growth they generate, subject to a levy, providing a strong incentive to go for growth.
Local government will retain a 50% local share of business rates and then keep a 50% share of any growth they generate, subject to a levy, providing a strong incentive to go for growth.
SFA: £400m will be spent at a number of colleges across England to upgrade facilities & resources, with £110m coming from the Skills Funding Agency and BIS. More than 50 colleges across the country will be spending £412m on projects ranging from the creation of a state-of-the-art civil engineering academy to transforming classrooms into modern vocational workshops, thanks to co-investment from the Government.
The funding is the third phase of the Enhanced Renewal Grant (ERG3) which has contributed £330m since May 2010, supporting over £1bn of investment in college buildings across England.
WAG: The Welsh Public Sector will continue to carry out Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) when developing its policies, Equalities Minister Jane Hutt said last week.
DWP: The Government has published its first proposals to rebuild confidence & trust in workplace pensions and reverse nearly half a century of declining membership.
A paper called, Reinvigorating Workplace Pensions, contains new ideas for sharing the risks more equally between employer & employee, and for helping people get the most out of what they save in a pension.
A paper called, Reinvigorating Workplace Pensions, contains new ideas for sharing the risks more equally between employer & employee, and for helping people get the most out of what they save in a pension.
