Annual Reports

CO: The Civil Service has shown it continues to improve its capability, as it prepares to tackle the challenges of the coming decade, Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell has claimed. He was speaking as the Cabinet Office published an overview of the Capability Review programme, which was introduced in 2005 to assess departments' ability to meet current & future challenges. 
 
The fifth tranche of reviews & re-reviews has also been published.  The Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) were both re-reviewed, while the year-old Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) underwent a baseline assessment.  The Serious Fraud Office was also reviewed after its managers saw how the review process had helped central government departments improve.
Press release ~ Capability Review Programme
 
BIS: According to the latest report published, businesses are saving £bns a year due to the Government’s Simplification programme, which aims to get rid of unnecessary paperwork - saving firms time, money & hassle. The summary report, published by the Better Regulation Executive, detailes how more than 280 changes to regulations have helped save UK businesses around £2.9bn a year so far.  
 
An independent panel including representatives from the business community has tested whether simplification measures were effectively communicated to businesses.  In May this year, this Panel again scrutinised the Government’s delivery and validates 77.5% of the Programme’s gross savings.  The Government claims to be on track to meet its target of cutting the administrative burden on businesses by 25% by May 2010 that will deliver an expected £3.3bn in annual net savings.
Press release ~ Progress in 2009 – Making Life as Simple as Possible ~ Administrative Burden Reduction Programme FAQs ~ Better Regulation
 
DH: The Department of Health has published an update on progress made in kidney care since the National Service Framework was developed 5 years ago.  It shows that the NHS has significantly improved diagnosis of kidney disease and treatment for those living with it.
 
It is estimated that 1 in 8 people in England are living with kidney disease with an increasing number of people being diagnosed each year.  With early diagnosis & good management, the lives of people living with kidney disease can be significantly improved.  
Press release ~ Achieving excellence in kidney care: Delivering the National Service Framework for Renal Services ~ Renal National Service Framework ~ National Kidney Care Audit
 
FSA: Since 2005, the Food Standards Agency has delivered annual savings of up to £380m to businesses & the public sector.  Details of which are published in the 2009/10 Simplification Report and Plan.  This is the fourth, and penultimate, report & plan in the current 5 year programme.
 
The Agency is on track to deliver a further £45m in administrative burden reductions by May 2010, from new record keeping guidance for farmers (£35m) and decision-making guidance to accompany the Meat Products Regulations (£9m).  This will bring total administrative burden reduction to £89m by the end of the current programme in May 2010.
Press release ~ FSA Simplification report and plan 2009/10 ~ FSA's simplification programme
 
DCSF: The DCSF's Better Regulation Unit has published its annual plan setting out how the Department is working to reduce bureaucracy.  The plan summarises current & forthcoming measures, as well as those carried out from May 2005 to December 2009.
Press release ~ Simplification Plan
 
DCSF: Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo and Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron have welcomed the publication of the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group’s sixth annual report and will be responding to all the recommendations next year.
Press release ~ Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group’s sixth annual report ~ DCSF – Teenage Pregnancy ~ Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy ~ Contraception Worth Talking About campaign
 
OGC: The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has published its Annual Statement - Working together: delivering value.  Around £220bn is spent by the public sector on third party goods & services each year and the OGC's collaborative procurement programme supports both central Whitehall departments and the wider public sector in maximising the value it achieves from this spend through a variety of approaches.
 
This includes championing & facilitating collaboration across the major areas of third party spend (such as energy & travel) and making the procurement process more efficient through the use of frameworks and e-procurement tools.
Press release ~ OGC Annual Statement - Working together: delivering value
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