WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
Not a ‘Happy New Year’ for thousands |
The Business Secretary, Greg Clark, has outlined the steps the business department has taken following the liquidation of Carillion. Following the appointment of the Official Receiver as liquidator, the Business Secretary has written to the Insolvency Service and the Official Receiver asking that the statutory investigation into the conduct of Carillion’s directors is fast-tracked & extended in scope. This means the Official Receiver’s investigation will consider whether those who are, or were previously directors of the company may have caused detriment to those owed money, including workers & businesses affected. Alongside this, the Business Secretary has also written to the chairman of the Financial Reporting Council and asked it to conduct an investigation into the preparation of Carillion’s accounts past & present, as well as the company’s auditors. |
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BEIS: Business Secretary outlines departmental action following Carillion liquidation FRC statement regarding Carillion TUC calls for national task force on Carillion Insolvency Service: Update on Carillion contracts Cabinet Office: Carillion: what's happening now TUC to join new national taskforce on Carillion BEIS: Business Secretary welcomes action by banks to support small businesses affected by Carillion |
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Loneliness can creep up on one |
Theresa May has hosted a reception and set out the government's plans to tackle loneliness and combat social isolation. Research shows:
The PM has implemented the first of the Jo Cox Commission’s recommendations – appointing a ministerial lead on loneliness. The Minister for Sport & Civil Society, Tracey Crouch, will lead a cross-government group which will take responsibility for driving action on loneliness across all parts of government and keeping it firmly on the agenda. A number of government initiatives are already in place to help reduce loneliness, including improved mental health support, and the pocket parks programme which has transformed unused spaces into new green areas, giving lonely people the chance to join volunteering groups and interact with neighbours. |
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10DS: PM commits to government-wide drive to tackle loneliness ScotGov: Reducing loneliness & isolation consultation Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness Government pledges £500,000 for new action group to grow future of public parks Green light given to over 80 pocket parks - GOV.UK It is easy to fall into a ‘solitary’ routine LGA responds to winter loneliness warning Half of adults aged 55 and over have experienced common mental health problems, say Age UK Age UK: Over half of lonely older people have never talked about it |
Looking beyond, the flu & Xmas crisis period |
Additional funding, aimed to help the NHS get on a financially sustainable footing, has instead been spent on coping with existing pressures, according to a NAO report. The NHS received an additional £1.8bn Sustainability & Transformation Fund in 2016-17 to give it breathing space to set itself up to survive on significantly less funding growth from 2017-18 onwards. It was also intended to give it stability to improve performance and transform services, to achieve a sustainable health system. The Fund has helped the NHS improve its financial position from a £1,848m deficit in 2015-16 to a £111m surplus in 2016-17. There has also been an improved underspend of £154m across clinical commissioning groups, yet 62 groups reported a cumulative deficit in 2016-17, up from 32 in 2015-16. Despite its overall financial position improving, the NHS is struggling to manage increased activity & demand within its budget and has not met NHS access targets. Furthermore, measures it took to rebalance its finances have restricted money available for longer-term transformation, which is essential for the NHS to meet demand, drive efficiencies and improve the service. For example, the Department transferred £1.2bn of its £5.8bn budget for capital projects to fund the day-to-day activities of NHS bodies. On top of this funding, many trusts are receiving large levels of in-year cash injections, most of which are loans from the Department, which have worsened rather than improved their financial performance. Extra cash support increased from £2.4bn in 2015-16 to £3.1bn in 2016-17. |
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NAO: Sustainability & transformation in the NHS King's Fund: Mental health funding gap widens further Editorial Commentary; Health & Social Care funding Helping to make care affordable With medical staff costs continually rising, we need other alternatives |
Another regular ‘winter crisis’ |
Legal requirement for all bird keepers in England to follow strict biosecurity measures. A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across the whole of England, Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, has confirmed. This means it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures. It comes as 13 dead wild birds were confirmed to have the virus in Warwickshire. Testing of the birds found in Warwickshire is ongoing, however, it is highly expected that this will be the same H5N6 strain of the virus which has been circulating in wild birds across Europe in recent months. Public Health England have advised the risk to public health remains very low and the Food Standards Agency have said that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. |
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Defra: Bird flu prevention zone extended to cover whole of England Defra: Avian flu found in wild birds in Dorset WAG: Poultry keepers reminded of the importance of biosecurity and to be vigilant for signs of Avian Flu – (Defra: New Countryside Stewardship Offers open for applications WAG: Statement by Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs on Avian Influenza |
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. This week’s new arrivals to the SME Supplier Locator service include: Advanced Digital Dynamics LtdClick here to find out more. |
Using a hammer to crack a nut |
Since the introduction of Public Spaces Protection Orders under the ‘Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014’, various groups & communities have expressed their concern over councils’ use of these powers. On several occasions, it was argued that PSPOs were being misinterpreted and used to unfairly discriminate against people who were homeless or sleeping rough. A notable example was the recent case of Oxford City Council warning rough sleepers that they must remove their possessions from doorways, or face fines of up to £2,500 for unreasonable conduct and causing an obstruction, although the council did issue a statement explaining its position. In a move that should help to avoid the inappropriate issuing of PSPOs in future, in December 2017, the Home Office updated its guidance on the Orders, which now specifically states that PSPOs ‘should not be used to target people based solely on the fact that someone is homeless or rough sleeping, as this in itself is unlikely to mean that such behaviour is having an unreasonably detrimental effect on the community’s quality of life which justifies the restrictions imposed’. Importantly, councils are now directed to consider taking measures that tackle the root causes of the behaviour and consulting with homeless charities when considering restrictions or requirements that may impact on rough sleepers. |
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Homeless Link: Home Office updates Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) guidance With the weather turning colder Just when they need a ‘warm, secure home’ Migrant homelessness: the stark reality of destitution in England WAO: Local authorities making good progress on implementing new homelessness duties Ombudsman responds to PAC report on homelessness Government's complacent attitude has failed homeless Changing face of homelessness highlighted in Ombudsman report LGA: Councils respond to LGO report into homelessness Government to lead national effort to end rough sleeping Supportive shared housing – A solution for those at risk of homelessness? Homeless Couples: is it time for a new approach? LGA responds to Shelter report on homelessness A second class ending - end of life care for people who are homeless Rough Sleeping in Winter – what is being done? Councils reminded of their duty to homeless families following Ombudsman investigation LGA: Nation faces older people homelessness ‘time bomb’ – councils warn |
Not just weapons |
In a world first, a new experiment to study the effects of space weather on global communications is being launched by the UK and US governments. |
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Dstl Investigates the earth's upper atmosphere Dstl scientists tackle growing problem of space junk Dstl is looking for out-of-this-world space scientists to join its programme Three...two…one…blast off! Dstl launches £50m Space Programme Ploughshare to commercialise technologies from the Centre for Applied Science & Technology US and UK Armies lead the way in world-first for robotic vehicles |
Consumers have been playing ‘Russian roulette' with at-risk tumble dryers |
The BEIS report says urgent action is needed from Whirlpool to remove the danger posed by 1m defective & potentially dangerous tumble dryers across the country. |
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PC&PE: Urgent action needed over ongoing risk from faulty electrical goods LGA responds to new safety advice for fire-risk tumble dryers |
One suspects they will find a way to keep charging us |
Hidden charges for paying with a debit or credit card have been banned as of 13 January 2018, helping millions of UK consumers to avoid rip-off fees when spending their hard-earned money. So-called ‘surcharging’ has become commonplace, particularly online, with many retailers hitting people with surprise charges just before they are about to make a purchase. The recent ban means that it will be unlawful for retailers to charge additional fees when someone uses a particular credit or debit card, or other payment systems like PayPal, to make a purchase. |
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HM Treasury: Card surcharge ban means no more nasty surprises for shoppers |
Now available to parents of under 9s |
In April 2017 HMRC started rolling out Tax-Free Childcare, which helps working parents with the cost of childcare with up to £2,000 of support per child p.a., or £4,000 for disabled children. Last week Tax-Free Childcare opened to parents whose youngest child is under 9. The scheme will open to all remaining eligible families with children under 12 on 14 February 2018. This means all eligible parents will be able to apply for Tax-Free Childcare before the end of this financial year. Parents, including the self-employed, can apply online for Tax-Free Childcare by visiting Childcare Choices. Parents can also access the government’s childcare calculator through Childcare Choices, which helps parents to choose which government childcare support is best for them. |
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A chance to say ‘Thank You’ |
The MoD invites expressions of interest from communities across the UK to become host for the eleventh annual Armed Forces Day National event. In 2019, Armed Forces Day will celebrate 11 years of supporting our Armed Forces Community, from serving personnel & reserves to veterans, cadets & families. The eleventh Armed Forces Day, on Saturday 29 June 2019, will be a chance for the British public to show their gratitude to the Armed Forces for their hard work & sacrifice, to keep us safe at home & abroad. |
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MoD: Bids open to host annual Armed Forces Day National Event in 2019 |
Are you one? |
Action Fraud is contacting around 22,000 UK victims who have made a report of fraud in which they stated that the method of transfer for payments involved a money transfer via Western Union. |
Keep watch on housing market |
HMLR have added new functionality & data to the UK HPI search tool & monthly reports, to help users identify changing house price trends across the UK more easily. HM Land Registry: New features for the UK House Price Index search tool & reports |
No ‘brawn’ required |
Young girls from across the country will pit their codebreaking skills against one another in a series of head-scratching online challenges to crown the UK’s brightest cyber minds. |
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NCSC: Competition launches to crown UK's most cyber-savvy girls With more females than males going to University! Inevitably History repeats itself, as we ‘send’ our youth into ‘battle’ again |
Despite increased reliability |
The wait for the first MoT test on cars & motorcycles won't be extended to 4 years due to safety concerns. |
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DfT: First MoT test to remain at 3 years to protect road safety How GOV.UK Notify is helping the DVSA remind motorists to renew their MOTs Boost for motorists as government proposes no MOT test for first 4 years |
Almost like a ‘Death tax’! |
A CMA investigation has resulted in one of the UK’s leading care home providers dropping its policy of charging fees after a resident has died. |
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CMA: Major care home group drops 'after death' fees following CMA action |
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Still a ‘hot topic’, with widely spread views, for those who put fingers to keyboard in order to ‘share their views’: |
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Brexit microsite (Information about the Article 50 process and our negotiations for a new partnership with the EU) PC&PE: Taxpayers must not suffer as HMRC faces tough decisions on future PC&PE: Government responds to Brexit: UK-EU movement of people report PC&PE: Interparliamentary Forum on Brexit holds second meeting ScotGov: Analysis shows Single Market essential for Scotland |
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