Welcome to WiredGov Plus

WiredGov Plus provides a weekly roundup of news from the UK Government and Public Sector. To save your time, we research & validate the links to websites / documents and selectively add additional background links as appropriate.

Editor’s choice of ICT items of note:

AI Safety Summit Hub

Proposed principles to guide competitive AI markets and protect consumers

New advisory service to help businesses launch AI and digital innovations

Improving digital connectivity

Step forward to online lasting powers of attorney

Ofcom welcomes the Online Safety Bill passing final stage in parliament

Keeping people safe and secure online

techUK Supercharging Innovation Week 2023

Findings of BBC investigation into TikTok ‘deeply concerning’

New Microsoft/Activision deal addresses previous CMA concerns in cloud gaming

Tech companies must prioritise safety of children
 
White Paper: How Government Departments are using Digital Place for Communities to support cross-organisation communication and collaboration

New Cabinet Office guidance surrounding Non-Corporate Communication Channels (NCCCs) such as Whatsapp, Gmail, or SMS, has been issued in a bid to protect UK Government information from falling into the hands of non-Sovereign entities. 

Government communications belong to the Crown and must be handled lawfully. If you hold such communications in NCCCs,you do so on behalf of your department.It would requireexceptional circumstancesto justify communicating significant government information via NCCCs.

A new approved alternative to NCCCs (created by the public sector, for the public sector) now offers a powerful digital hub for all public servants to share information, collaborate, and connect,without risk to National Security.

Discover a safer way to share your government communications.
 
Editor’s choice of Health, Social Care & Homelessness related items of note:

More people could be offered genetic testing for genes linked to ovarian cancer in new draft NICE guideline for public consultation

UK patients set to have faster access to innovative medical technologies via new pathway

NHS booking opens for life-saving Covid vaccinations

UK announces “transformational” support to boost global health at UNGA

Government considers minimum service levels in hospitals during strikes

95% of ex-smokers see positive changes soon after quitting

NHS Confederation - NHS doing all it can to meet demand for care

NHS Wales to build a culture of speaking up

Welsh Government response to latest NHS Wales performance data: July and August 2023

Humberside PCC appears before health committee
 
Editor’s choice of Business / Commercial items of note:

Statement from NI Business Alliance on Northern Ireland Investment Summit

Government unveils new Board of Trade with UK’s top CEOs

Darlington groups celebrate National Lottery funding success

National Lottery funded project helped keep a roof over my head

Interest rates are too high and starting to bite on the economy, says IPPR

JRF - Interest rates pause welcome as economy sits on a knife edge

TUC - Ministers “driving economy into ditch”

Response to open letter on retail crime
 
Editor’s choice of Policy & General items of note:

Independent investigation begins following wrongful conviction of Andrew Malkinson

Call for progress on climate justice

Action needed to speed up possession process

Sellafield Ltd Review of the Year 2022/23 published

The importance of stakeholder engagement: ORR's assessment of Network Rail

Sunak axes energy efficiency plans for rented homes

Travelling Cabinet

Manufacturing output falls further, with volumes tipped to be flat through to the year's end - CBI Industrial Trends Survey

Welsh Government commits to promises to looked-after children

Urgent reforms needed to fill the gaps in Scotland’s electoral registers

Mother left ‘too scared to try for another child’ after doctors failed her during labour
 
SME Supplier Locator update...

With the officially stated target and ongoing drive for SME’s to receive £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts, UK public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase.

Against this ambitious 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.

Recent arrivals to the SME Supplier Locator service include:

Click here to find out more.

PTR
 
Please choose from the links below to view individual sections of interest:
ICO

Find out about your obligations and how to comply, including protecting personal information and providing access to official information.
Latest

ICO issues half a million pounds in new fines as fight to tackle illegal nuisance calls continues
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued fines totalling £590,000 to five companies for collectively making 1.9 million unwanted marketing calls which targeted the elderly and people with vulnerabilities.

Opinion on UK Government’s assessment of adequacy for the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework
The UK Government can assess whether another country, territory or an international organisation provides an adequate level of data protection compared to the UK.

“This needs to be dealt with.” - ICO issues Enforcement Notice to City of York Council over FOI backlog
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued an Enforcement Notice to City of York Council to clear its backlog of 261 unanswered Freedom of Information requests.

ICO statement following potential police cyber breach
Following media reporting of a potential cyber breach affecting Greater Manchester Police
For the Public

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