WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
| Preparing for ‘Global’ Trade |
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PM Theresa May used her first regional Cabinet meeting to launch proposals for a Modern Industrial Strategy to build on Britain’s strengths & tackle its underlying weaknesses to secure a future as a competitive, global nation. At the heart of the Strategy green paper is an offer to businesses to strike new ‘Sector Deals’, driven by the interests of firms and the people they employ, to address sector-specific challenges & opportunities. As part of the deals government will be prepared to offer a range of support, including addressing regulatory barriers to innovation & growth, looking at how we can use trade & investment deals to increase exports, or supporting the creation of new institutions to provide leadership, support innovation or boost skills. The green paper also sets out technologies where Britain has strengths in R&D which could be supported through the government’s new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, including: smart energy technologies; robotics & artificial intelligence and 5G mobile network technology. This fund is part of £4.7bn of additional R&D funding announced by the PM in November, a bigger increase than in any parliament since 1979. The approach outlined builds on what exists already in sectors like automotive and aerospace – with individual firms taking the initiative to organise their sectors, backed by institutions or organisations which enable vital partnership on research and development throughout the supply chain. In aerospace, close collaboration between government and industry including through the Aerospace Growth Partnership has been instrumental in creating one of the world’s best business environments for advanced engineering, design and manufacture - with thousands of people employed in high-skilled jobs. |
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10DS: PM unveils plans for a Modern Industrial Strategy fit for Global Britain 10DS: Technical education at heart of modern Industrial Strategy BEIS: Industrial Strategy will help unlock Northern Ireland's potential BEIS: Innovation to drive affordable energy and clean growth under Industrial Strategy DIT: New campaign highlights trade & investment opportunities in Global Britain DIT: Liam Fox welcomes industrial strategy commitment to UK trade HM Treasury: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - What it means and why it matters LGA: Councils respond to publication of Industrial Strategy Innovate UK: Funding competition: design foundations 2017 round 1 Innovate UK: Funding competition: open programme round 2 (2016) Children’s Commissioner responds to the PM’s announcement on industrial strategy CBI: 'A modern Industrial Strategy will be a landmark opportunity' CBI: Optimism among manufacturers rises at highest pace for 2 years TUC: Industrial strategy must give every part of UK better jobs & living standards after Brexit TUC: Industrial strategy will only succeed with workers’ voices and more ambitious investment STFC: PM launches Industrial Strategy plans at STFC's Daresbury Laboratory IPPR North: Industrial strategy must boost North JRF response to the industrial strategy CIPD: Industrial strategy is welcome, but risks being overly narrow |
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| More clarification of the Brexit process |
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In case anyone has been ‘stuck in a lift’ for the last few days. Supreme Court Brexit Ruling ~ 10DS: Supreme Court ruling on Article 50: statement ~ DExEU: Article 50 Bill process begins |
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MoJ: Lord Chancellor response to Supreme Court judgment WAG: Statement by the Welsh Government - Article 50 Supreme Court Judgment TUC: Parliament must know details of May’s plans before voting to trigger Article 50 PC&PE: Government response to Brexit: parliamentary scrutiny report WWF-UK comments on the news that the Government will publish a white paper on leaving the EU |
| Meanwhile ‘Life’ goes on for the ‘everyday’ Government |
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Managing demand for health & social care services is one of the biggest policy challenges of the moment. Sustained austerity, escalating demand and a set of profound system changes driven by Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are forcing big questions about the capacity of services to cope. Short term survival is driving the national debate. But over the longer term, we need new approaches that can better adapt to changing citizen needs and provide a more seamless route through different care settings. This is why Collaborate and NHS England’s Horizons group have developed a new approach to support demand management within health & care systems. Combining their expertise in demand management, collaborative innovation, flow science and organisational change, they have created ‘Collaborative Demand-Led Design’ — a new methodology to change systems, services and outcomes that they launch last week. Please let them know what you think. They want to hear from NHS, local government and health system partners who are interested in hearing more, or would like to be one of our test sites for 2017. |
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Collaborate: Managing Demand for Health & Social Care Services |
| Big ‘City’, Big Issues |
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Last week marked the start of a 100-day countdown until voters elect new mayors in several city regions. In its briefing for the candidates standing in May 2017’s elections, JRF says the new post gives Greater Manchester an opportunity to lead the country in delivering inclusive growth – growth that benefits everyone living in the city region. With half a million people income deprived and 1 in 4 children living in poverty, the briefing provides recommendations for the Mayor to create an economy that helps solve poverty. Greater Manchester performs relatively well compared to other major UK cities on job creation and private sector business growth. But JRF finds low pay and low skills continue to lock people out of the city region’s economic success. The briefing also highlights how GM’s economic growth is not reaching all households. Greater Manchester has a higher proportion of households with no-one in work (18.4%), a higher unemployment rate (6.5%), and higher proportion of working age adults who are economically inactive (24.5%) than England as a whole (14.9%, 5.1% and 21.9% respectively). |
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JRF: 100 days until new West Midlands mayor elected – New post must drive up jobs & skills |
| SME Supplier Locator update... |
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UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. The past 5 years have seen government make a priority of getting money through its supply chain into the hands of SMEs, by both setting targets and introducing new procurement mechanisms. Against this backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers. |
| Hidden dangers on ‘still’ days |
| During periods of high air pollution adults & children with lung problems, and adults with heart problems, should reduce strenuous physical exertion, particularly outdoors, and particularly if they experience symptoms. People with asthma may find they need to use their reliever inhaler more often. Older people should also reduce physical exertion. Anyone experiencing discomfort such as sore eyes, cough or sore throat should consider reducing activity, particularly outdoors. |
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| Will the ‘Sunday Roast’ survive? |
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Last week, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched a campaign to ‘Go for Gold’, helping people understand how to minimise exposure to a possible carcinogen called acrylamide when cooking at home. Acrylamide is a chemical that is created when many foods, particularly starchy foods like potatoes & bread, are cooked for long periods at high temperatures, such as when baking, frying, grilling, toasting & roasting. The scientific consensus is that acrylamide has the potential to cause cancer in humans. The FSA is launching the ‘Go for Gold’ campaign following findings from its Total Diet Study, published last week. The results confirm that people in the UK currently consume higher levels of the chemical than is desirable. Majority of people are not aware that acrylamide exists, so to find out more on acrylamide and to watch our video visit: food.gov.uk/acrylamide. |
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Food Standards Agency: Families urged to 'Go for Gold' to reduce acrylamide consumption |
| Keep moving to ‘have a life’ |
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Dr Amit Arora is a Consultant Physician and Geriatrician at University Hospital of North Midlands, Stoke on Trent and an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Keele University. In this blog he takes a look at the impact deconditioning can have on patients and what can be done to help tackle it. Older people, whether in hospitals, care homes or at their own homes, who do not get enough opportunity to mobilise, can have an increased risk of reduced bone mass & muscle strength, reduced mobility, increased dependence, confusion and demotivation. These problems can be attributed to the phenomenon of what can be termed as ‘Deconditioning Syndrome’. This affects well-being as well as physical function and could result in falls, constipation, incontinence, depression, swallowing problems, pneumonia and leads to demotivation, and general decline. Deconditioning Syndrome can happen in hospitals right from the time of entry, care homes and also patients’ own homes. Preventing Deconditioning Syndrome requires a broader strategic approach that includes physical therapy, maintenance of nutrition, medical management, and psychological support including addressing loneliness; essentially addressing elements of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. |
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NHS England: Time to move: Get up, get dressed, keep moving Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment - British Geriatrics Society |
| The spirit of Captain Oates lives on! |
| The Civilian Gallantry list names people who have received The George Medal, The Queen's Gallantry Medal and The Queen's Commendation for Bravery. |
| 10DS: Civilian Gallantry List: 2017 ~ Antarctic mission: Who was Captain Lawrence Oates? - BBC News |
| Action required! |
| Innovate UK will be closing its _connect networking groups on 1 February 2017 to focus on building bigger, stronger innovation communities on LinkedIn. If you are a member of any _connect groups you will have until 1 February to move your documents. |
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Innovate UK: New ways of networking: changes for _connect users |
| Editorial Commentary: ‘Equality’ works both ways |
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So the SNP want the UK to support them in gaining membership of the EEA EFTA, so Scotland can remain in the EU’s Single Market (Scotland's Place in Europe). However, one wonders if they have factored in the cost of that membership (which will be several hundred £million annually (Norway's financial contribution - The Norwegian Mission to the EU) and would presumably have to come out of their Barnett formula grant, as there would be no reason for rUK to pay for something they didn’t ‘benefit’ from! It could also put their Tariff free trade with rUK at risk. (In 2015, International exports to countries within the EU were estimated at £12.3bn, while Scottish exports to the rest of the UK (excluding oil & gas) were estimated at £49.8bn). ScotGov: (Scotland’s Exports Increase ~ 'Norway-style' deal would erect hard border between Scotland & UK In reality though, it looks as though it is not a real option following comments from EEA member Norway as to access the ‘Norway model’ Scotland would have to be independent country. Even if they managed to stay part of UK, it would probably annul the Scottish Fiscal Settlement (SFS) and the principle of ‘no detriment’ to Scotland’s financial position. Just as SNP claim the Independence referendum did not foresee Brexit, the SFS agreement did not foresee Scotland having different international trading arrangements to the rUK. This would remove the safety net from Scotland’s current partial fiscal devolution, with possibly severe financial consequences. IFS: Scotland’s Fiscal Framework does not satisfy Smith’s “Taxpayer fairness” principle It is generally acknowledged that ScotGov managed to achieve most of what they wanted with the SFS negotiations, due to the pressure on the UK government to get a deal done on the Smith Commission’s recommendations, so that the Scotland Act 2016 could be enacted. With Brexit (especially after the latest Supreme Court ruling, which means approval by ScotGov is not essential – ‘Sewel Convention’; this also applies to the Wales Assembly), time is not on their side as the timetable will be down to the UK Government / Westminster Parliament to decide. What's a Sewel Convention and why did it feature in the Brexit court ~ Brexit: Ministers 'not legally compelled' to consult AMs - BBC News As for Scotland being an ‘equal partner’ why should the English taxpayer subsidise a higher level of services (including social care) in Scotland for an ‘equal partner’? True equality should mean cutting back their public sector expenditure grants to the same level as found in England. Saving over £1,400p.a. X 5.3m people would go a long way towards finding the extra £bns needed to resolve England’s current NHS / Social care funding ‘black hole’, even after giving Scotland back 8.3% as their population’s share of the savings ‘pot’ (under the Barnett formula). A clear case of ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’. ScotGov: Brexit negotiations - Scotland must be equal partner ~ Telegraph: Scots enjoy £1,460 more public spending each despite oil crash ~ Scotland's social care services 'unsustainable' - BBC News As for ‘threatening’ another Independence Referendum, perhaps that is a good reason for not allowing them to have any ‘control’ of the UK’s Brexit negotiations, as they clearly have no interest in rUK’s future ‘well-being’ and are only thinking about Scotland’s! Independence for Scotland just doesn't add up ~ IFS: Scotland’s fiscal position: an updated assessment ~ Editorial Commentary: Is the SNP threat of another Referendum realistic? |
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