WIREDGOV

A major new report released last week suggests that the Government should introduce dynamic road user pricing.

This would take into account a driver’s journey (motorways or country lanes), the time of day, congestion on the network, and even their financial situation – i.e. whether they’re a student, pensioner, or unemployed.

Funding Roads for the Future, released by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) suggests that the existing model based on raising funds through fuel duty, vehicle excise duty, and the HGV levy is failing in the face of new technology & changing social trends, such as zero-emission vehicles, ride sharing, and increased urbanisation.  It urges short term reforms to the existing road taxation system, pushing it towards the longer-term aim of dynamic road user pricing.

In addition, the Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for the Government to tackle this current disparity in the maintenance funding it provides for national & local roads, so that councils can tackle the £12bn repair bill to bring our local roads up to scratch.  Motorways & major trunk roads – will receive 52 times more government funding per mile by 2020, compared to local roads maintained by councils.

A new watchdog has launched to strengthen the UK’s defences against money laundering and terrorist financing.

The government has announced the creation of a new national oversight body tasked with identifying consumer risks and managing responses to large-scale product recalls & repairs.

The new Office for Product Safety & Standards will enable the UK to meet the evolving challenges of product safety by responding to expanding international trade, the growth in online shopping and the increasing rate of product innovation.

The NAO and University of Birmingham have announced the establishment of the NAO/University of Birmingham Tax Centre – a collaboration to inform improvements in the administration of the tax system.

Safer Internet Day 2018 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 06 February 2018 with the slogan “Create, Connect and Share Respect: A better internet starts with you”.

People with hidden disabilities could soon have greater access to blue badges under new plans from Transport Minister Jesse Norman published for consultation last week.

Every year Oxfam releases a report criticising the wealth of the richest in the world while ignoring the growth in welfare of the poor. This is a mistake. Sam Dumitriu, Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute says.

The Health Committee say too little attention has been given to retaining nurses in the NHS, which has resulted in more nurses now leaving than joining the professional register.

TfL has started the search for around 180 new apprentices to kick-start their careers by taking up exciting opportunities in a range of areas including engineering, cyber security, finance and many others.

Future Energy customers will have their energy supply continue as normal, & their outstanding credit balances will be protected.

Ofgem will now choose a new supplier to take on the customers of Future Energy.  This supplier will contact Future Energy customers individually when this process is complete.  In the meantime, our advice to Future Energy customers is:

• Don’t switch supplier.
• Do sit tight, take a meter reading and wait until your new supplier contacts you.

‘The EC has decided to send letters of formal notice to EU countries for not applying EU rules on public procurement in defence & security markets’.

One wonders just what the implications would be for Scottish shipyards if they not only had to just compete against the rest of the UK, but also the whole of the EU, for contracts to build future Royal Navy’s ships.  Would the Clyde yards still get the contracts for the new General Purpose Frigates, when RUSI has already identified some non-UK alternatives?
Defence procurement:  EC opens infringement procedures against 5 Member States ~  Ambitious future for Naval Shipbuilding in the UK ~ Scottish shipyards begin building Royal Navy's latest patrol ship ~ What Rivals Will Britain’s New T31e Corvette be Facing? ~ We need more ships!

One also wonders, what would happen to our future capacity to supply/replace the UK’s armed forces equipment in times of conflict if future contracts were awarded to Eastern EU countries (or Nordic ones) which were then ‘over-run’ in battle or an Eastern Ukraine type ‘manoeuvre’ by Russian forces?
Export & SME support leads policy refresh which will keep our industry & military as ‘the envy of the world’, Defence Secretary announces

Would we still have an arms exporting industry earning £bns and employing thousands of workers if the UK forces didn’t buy their equipment from UK firms?  Once we no longer have a trained workforce and manufacturing capabilities, it would take years to recreate them – if ever!
Multi-£bn defence deal secures thousands of UK jobs ~ Accelerating Defence Innovation ~ Submarines to support economic & community growth ~ Defence Secretary highlights defence boost to Scottish Jobs ~ Brexit Britain will have the world's best maritime industry

Co-operation on something like the Typhoon fighter, missile development, and NATO (even possibly the European Medical Corps) are necessary / desirable currently (and in the future), but having Mr Junker ‘fine’ us for ‘Buying British’  from UK industries based in some of the more ‘employment challenged’ parts of the UK – No thank you!
EMC - Slightly more feasible than an EU ‘army’, but is their funding for it in the existing budget?

While we are currently ‘opted-out’ of such EU ‘rules’, one wonders if the TUC, CBI and Scotland’s FM have really considered the medium to long-term implications of ‘staying’ in the EU with regards to our defence industrial base and the UK’s security, as pressure to ‘’federalise’ gets ever stronger, despite the ‘unwillingness of our EU partners to match our spending levels on defence..