WIREDGOV

The UK’s local authorities are crucial providers of public services and are often the front line of public service provision, helping people do the things they need to do.

From keeping the streets clean or dealing with planning applications, to providing support for isolated or vulnerable people.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has shown how the application of digital culture, practice & technologies to central government can make government work better for users. This has often involved close collaboration with local authorities who share many of the same organisational and delivery challenges.

That’s why GDS is proud to be a co-publisher of the Local Digital Declaration, which launched last week.  This is a set of guiding principles that will help support local authorities of all sizes or capabilities to deliver digital services and platforms that meet the needs of citizens.

A new NHS app will make it quicker & easier to access health services and will be available to everyone in England in December 2018.

The new NHS app will give patients & and secure access to their GP record. Patients will be able to use it to:

• make GP appointments
• order repeat prescriptions
• manage long-term conditions
• access 111 online for urgent medical queries

It means patients will be able to secure a GP appointment with the click of a button, rather than join a queue of callers attempting to ring the local surgery at the same time each morning.  Patients will also be able to use the app to state their preferences relating to data-sharing, organ donation & end-of-life care

The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report assessing the challenges preventing health & social care from working together effectively.

In a move to encourage the government to create a long-term plan for a sustainable, joined-up care sector, the head of the NAO, Amyas Morse, is urging further & faster progress towards a service that centres on the needs of individuals, meets growing demands for care and delivers value to the taxpayer.

The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on Tuesday 3 July 2018 and seeks to replace the current system known as ‘Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards’ (DoLs).

The new law seeks to protect the rights of people who do not have the mental capacity to make decisions about their care and to reduce the burden on local authorities.

DoLs is an assessment currently carried out on people who do not have the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care, for example because they are living with dementia.  It was criticised by a 2017 Law Commission review for being too complex and bureaucratic.

Secretary of State for Communities proposes the introduction of a minimum 3-year tenancy term, with a 6-month break clause, to help renters put down roots, & give landlords longer term financial security.

According to government data, people stay in their rented homes for an average of nearly 4 years.  But despite this, 81% of rental contracts are assured shorthold tenancies with a minimum fixed term of just 6 or 12 months.

This can lead to tenants feeling insecure, unable to challenge poor property standards for fear of tenancies being terminated, and unable to plan for their future or contribute to their wider community.  Under the proposed longer term agreement, tenants would be able to leave before the end of the minimum term, but would have greater protection if they wanted to stay in a property for an extended period of time.

As part of its continuing commitment to give more security to renters, an 8-week consultation on the plan has been published, specifically looking at overcoming the barriers to landlords offering longer tenancies.

So it looks like the ‘sabotaging’ of the minority supported Remainers has ‘overturned’ what the majority (Brexiteers) voted for in the Referendum and we will be a ‘rule taker’ rather than a ‘rule maker’ into the future.

The EU will press even harder to make us accept the worst deal possible in order to prevent any other EU country from considering leaving the EU.  They will endeavour to ‘cherry pick’ while giving little in return.

But what if the EU starts trying to retain their control of fishing rights in UK waters in the negotiations?  Will that be the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’ and force the UK to go to a ‘No deal’ option?

There is no doubt that loss of fishing rights will have a ‘devastating impact on the French & Irish fishing industry.  At present, Breton vessels conduct 50% of their activities in the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).  The Irish realize 30% of their catch in British waters (EditCom; Further look at the report by European Committee of the Regions (CoR) detailing the consequences of Brexit on trade & the economy in the EU27 regions & cities )

So the second (so far minor) part of the recent Cabinet position ‘agreement’ of actively preparing for ‘No Deal’ is an important part of our negotiating position and many believe is a very viable option (BfB:  Evidence-based policy or fake news? Ten economic propositions made by Remain ~ OE:  The significance of London’s financial cluster for the EU27 ~ BfB:  The Government should ignore the special pleading from business by John Longworth )

With  No Deal, we could even impose our solution to the RoI – NI border, which the EU’s own report has said would ‘work’ (EditCom: We know it could work, but we don’t want you to gain your ‘freedom’ to do trade deals or stop having to contribute £bns to the EU! )