WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
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But ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’! |
The Constitution Committee has called for the Government to act on the Committee's criticism of the "unprecedented" transfer of powers from Parliament to Government, proposed in the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. The Committee say that the Bill, which began its second reading stage in the House of Commons last week, is likely to be the most important legislation that this Parliament will consider. Their report says that the "political, legal and constitutional significance of the Bill is unparalleled." Commenting on the report, Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chairman of the Committee, said: ……. "We acknowledge that the Government needs significant powers in order to deliver legal certainty after Brexit. However, we warned the Government that such powers must come with tougher parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms and we are disappointed that we have not only been misquoted by the government, but that our key recommendations have been ignored”. |
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PC&PE: Brexit fundamentally challenges constitutional balance between Parliament and Government Henry VIII clauses - Glossary page - UK Parliament Lord Judge on Henry VIII Powers and Parliamentary Sovereignty ... |
A lot of ‘promises’, but little detail on how they would be funded; especially in an independent Scotland |
Outlining ScotGov’s priorities last week, FM Nicola Sturgeon said action would be taken to phase out the need for petrol & diesel vehicles by 2032 and fast-track the development of a Scotland wide charging network. The FM also unveiled plans for a Scottish National Investment Bank to deliver long term financial support for innovative industries. As part of the commitment to closing the poverty related attainment gap, the FM said an Education bill will be the centrepiece of the legislative programme for the year ahead, with major reforms also taking place in health & justice and a review of local democracy. |
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ScotGov: Programme for Government ScotGov: A nation with ambition ScotGov: Bold plan to shape Scotland WWF Scotland: ‘Green’ Programme for Government welcomed HMT: Scotland to pioneer future of global oil & gas industry Scotland Office - UK Government reaction to GERS Telegraph: Scots enjoy £1,460 more public spending each despite oil crash |
Free personal care for Scotland’s under 65s, but who will pay for it? |
At least 9,000 families in Scotland will benefit from the introduction of free personal care for everyone who requires it, regardless of age. Known as ‘Frank’s Law’ after the campaign led by footballer Frank Kopel’s widow Amanda, the policy will take effect by April 2019. |
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Scotland's social care services 'unsustainable' - BBC News Audit Scotland: NHS struggling to keep up with rising demand and cost pressures |
SME Supplier Locator update... |
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. |
Our data privacy is at an ever increasing risk |
Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC), and Elizabeth Denham, Information Commissioner, have published a revised memorandum of understanding. The memorandum is a statement of intent that has at its heart, the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens in respect of their privacy, the protection of their personal information and also the public interest which arises when balancing those considerations against a legitimate duty to protect communities, where it is necessary to do so. In addition’ the ICO’s series of blogs continues to sort the fact from the fiction by busting some of the myths around the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). |
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Surveillance Camera Commissioner and Information Commissioner sign MoU Smile; you are probably ‘on camera’ SCC publishes civil engagement plan Local Authority workshops announced SCC launches a passport for compliance ICO: GDPR – setting the record straight on data breach reporting GDPR will soon become a reality GDPR Guidance: What to look for in your Data Protection Officer (DPO) Transitioning for away from the EU DP ‘umbrella’ With GDPR coming into force next year ‘effective solutions’ are needed Still much more to be done by LAs to comply with Best Practice / Legal Requirements |
Paedophiles are not the only danger to female children |
There have been nearly 12,700 new cases of FGM identified over the past two years, which highlights the size of the challenge facing all agencies seeking an end to this horrific form of abuse. |
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LGA responds to latest FGM figures How can people do this to their own children? Even after the crime they hide behind ‘family honour’ to persuade the girls not to complain |
Time to put those walking boots on |
New analysis from PHE’s Heart Age Test shows many have a heightened risk of a potentially fatal heart attack or stroke. The HA Test is the only known way of measuring our heart age, which shows how many years we can expect to live healthily without a heart attack or stroke. The higher our heart age, the higher our risk. |
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DH: 1 in 10 men aged 50 have a heart age 10 years older than they are 6m adults do not do a monthly brisk 10 minute walk - GOV.UK Can you help the nation walk/cycle to better health? The ‘countryside’ is not the only place one can go walking Autumn Ambles is back! Book your free walking tour and get strolling Don't put yourself in weather danger: check out our updated regional mountain forecasts Minister launches walk day Wednesday challenge Government publishes £1.2bn plan to increase cycling and walking |
One wonders how long it would take at the rate of 10 minutes per month? |
Tourists from around the globe will soon be able to step foot on the longest coastal walking route in the world as work is officially underway along every stretch of the England Coast Path. Natural England is now working on 100% of this 2,700 mile walking route, which (when completed) will allow people to explore new & improved routes along the entire length of the English coastline – taking in iconic sights like the White Cliffs of Dover, the beaches of Norfolk and the picturesque North Yorkshire coast. England’s spectacular coastline already attracts 300m visits a year, with people spending up to 3 times more than at any other holiday destination. The South West stretch is already worth £400m to the economy. |
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Defra: World's longest coastal footpath one step closer England Coast Path | National Trails England Coast Path: improving public access to the coast - GOV.UK England Coast Path - LDWA Long Distance Paths Longest section of England Coast Path opens in Middlesbrough England Coast Path in Kent: two steps forward Eight seaside communities receive extra funding to create jobs Record funding for 36 seaside towns that will kick-start jobs and apprenticeships |
Much better than a ‘slap in the face with a wet fish’ |
New CMA measures will help 700,000 restricted meter customers, including around 400,000 in Scotland, to switch without changing their meter. This follows an extensive investigation by CMA into the energy sector, which found that around two thirds of restricted meter customers could save an average of £154p.a. by switching energy tariff. |
But will the ‘victims’ of their actions be offered the same concern? |
David Lammy MP has published his final report into the treatment of, & outcomes for, Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system. It contains 35 recommendations, including introducing assessments of a young offenders’ maturity, exploring how criminal records could be ‘sealed’, and allowing some prosecutions to be ‘deferred’. David Lammy also urges the justice system to take major steps to increase diversity & transparency. The study found that BAME disproportionality in the criminal justice system costs the taxpayer at least £309m each year, as well as a number of other concerning statistics. For example, the proportion of BAME young offenders in custody rose from 25% to 41% between 2006 and 2016, despite the overall number of young offenders falling to record lows. |
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MoJ: Lammy publishes historic review |
One to be watched with interest |
The UK’s first ever ‘plot shop’ has been officially opened in the town of Bicester. Located right on the high-street, this one-of-a-kind outlet will sell plots of land on the Graven Hill site in Oxfordshire to those wishing to build their own home – whether from scratch or through customised design. Once complete, the Graven Hill development will be the largest of its kind in the UK, delivering up to 1,900 new self and custom build homes. CLG: Launch of the UK’s first plot shop |
This is an annual deployment pre-hurricane season |
RFA Mounts Bay has delivered 6 tonnes of emergency aid to Anguilla and will shortly arrive in the British Virgin Islands. The ship has been deployed in the Caribbean since July in preparation for the hurricane season, ready to provide support at a moment’s notice. |
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DIFD: RFA Mounts Bay delivers vital aid to Caribbean islands FCO: Hurricane Irma: Foreign Secretary's statement on Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands FCO: Hurricane Irma - government response & advice DIFD: Hurricane Irma: statement from Priti Patel DIFD: Hurricane Irma: statement from Priti Patel HMS Mersey continues her Caribbean deployment | Royal Navy HMS Argyll deploying to the Caribbean | Royal Navy 'On my island in the sun' – Or why a permanent base in the West ... |
A useful event to discuss post-Brexit trade opportunities? |
DIT is looking for sponsors & partners to help deliver the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018. DIT: Open call for sponsors & partners for the Commonwealth Summit 2018 |
Helping to ensure continuing ‘care’ |
Mark Riddell MBE has been appointed as the National Implementation Adviser for care leavers, and will work closely with LAs as they drive forward the new duties introduced through the Children & Social Work Act (2017). |
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DfE: Advisor appointed to boost local support for care leavers Supporting some of the most vulnerable LGA - Children's social care at breaking point, council leaders warn |
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is |
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is warning people about rogue pension websites that are carrying anti-scam messages to try to trick consumers into believing that they are legitimate businesses. These websites have been flagged to TPR because they are designed to look like legitimate pension scheme investments. Action Fraud: Pension websites that carry anti-scam messaging could be fraudsters in disguise |
Many students are vulnerable to scams |
A fraudulent email has come to light over the last 2 weeks in the lead up to the new academic year and claims that Student Loans Company accounts have been suspended due to incomplete student information. Action Fraud: Rise in reports of student loan scam email |
Why should they be effectively ‘excluded’? |
The Minister for the Constitution has launched a Call for Evidence, asking for views on how people with disabilities experience registering to vote and voting itself. Cabinet Office: Access to elections - Call for Evidence Cabinet Office: Minister calls for evidence to improve the accessibility of elections |
Even minor injuries can have a major impact as we age! |
RoSPA’s annual occupational safety & health campaign #OSHtober will this year be raising awareness of the debilitating personal effects, and damaging financial effects, poor manual handling has on workers and businesses around the world. RoSPA’s #OSHtober campaign to focus on manual handling |
Bristol may soon have its own ‘digital twin’ |
A new competition has been launched by Lord Adonis, who has issued a ‘call to arms’ for students, academics & leading technology companies to enter a new Data Challenge, and see whether a digital model of the city – a digital twin – could be created and how it could be used. Entrants can recreate any element of the city in digital form – whether local bus routes, energy usage or waste collections – so that it can be used to help map Bristol’s future infrastructure needs. Teams must include people from a range of disciplines, whether students, academics, data scientists or infrastructure specialists, and have until 6 October to enter. They will then have the opportunity to present their proposals at the Bristol Data Dome, the only observatory of its kind in Europe. |
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NIC: Adonis: help us create the UK’s first digital twin – (NIC: Adonis - Don’t lose sight of major projects in the pipeline |
Sorry! |
Some of Land Charges’ services are temporarily unavailable while they address some technical difficulties. HM Land Registry: Some of our services are temporarily unavailable |
Let’s hope it ‘does what it says on the tin’ |
Guidance on regulating landlords in the private rented sector has issued to all local authorities by ScotGov. The guidance will support local authorities to effectively regulate the landlord registration system, which requires councils to maintain a register of private landlords and ensure that only landlords it judges to be fit and proper are allowed on the register. |
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