General Reports and Other Publications
DC: A shortage of medium & heavy lift battlefield helicopters is undermining current operations say the Defence Select Committee in its latest report entitled, ‘Helicopter capability’. Chairman of the Defence Committee, the Rt Hon James Arbuthnot, said:
“It seems to us that operational commanders in the field today are unable to undertake potentially valuable operations because of the lack of helicopters for transportation around the theatre of operations. We are also concerned that operational commanders find they have to use ground transport, when helicopter lift would be preferred, both for the outcome and for the protection of our forces.”
The Committee is critical of the plan to extend the lives of Sea King and Puma to bridge the capability gap that will exist before the introduction of the Future Medium Helicopter in about ten years’ time. Given the age of these fleets and the poor survivability of the Puma, extending their lives at considerable cost is not the best option, either operationally or in terms of the use of public money.
The Committee praises the work of the Armed Forces personnel responsible for manning the helicopter fleet, but there is concern over the problems associated with manpower and harmony guidelines. There is an imbalance in the frequency of operational tours between squadrons from each of the three Services.
DC press release ~ MoD response press release ~ Helicopter capability ~ MoD - Harmony guidelines ~ Unit harmony guidelines ~ BMJ: Mental health consequences of overstretch in the UK armed forces: first phase of a cohort study ~ Manpower shortage as pressures of war drive troops to quit Forces - Times Online ~
LBRO: Successful initiatives in the fight against underage sales of alcohol have been highlighted in a new study for the Local Better Regulation Office, as part of a drive to help local councils & police forces keep alcohol out of the hands of the under 18’s. According to the DCSF the number of alcohol units consumed by 11 – 15 year olds has doubled between 1990 & 2000 and has remained at the same level since.
LBRO is now urging others to adopt the best practice undertaken by local authorities and police forces in small cities & towns across the UK. LBRO is keen to work with councils & police forces on identifying the initiatives that work best.
Press release ~ Protecting Young People From Alcohol Related Harm ~ DH – Reducing Alcohol Harm ~ LBRO ~ Young People’s Drinking Factsheet ~ DH – Alcohol and Young People ~ Crime Reduction Toolkit ~ Talk about Alcohol ~ Drink Aware – Young People talk about alcohol ~ Youth Alcohol Action Plan
NAO: Too many people with rheumatoid arthritis are not being diagnosed or treated quickly enough, and some services for people with the disease are not coordinated enough, according to a report published by the National Audit Office.
Delay in treatment is detrimental to patients’ health and their quality of life. With three quarters of people of working age when diagnosed, the estimated cost to the economy of sick leave & work-related disability for people with rheumatoid arthritis is £1.8bn a year.
Early diagnosis is the key to the successful treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but public awareness of the disease is low. The average length of time from symptom onset to treatment is 9 months, compared to the clinically recommended period of 3 months, and this has not improved in the past 5 years. The disease is incurable, but there are a range of treatments which can slow damage to joints and there is increasing evidence that aggressive treatment very soon after the onset of symptoms can lead to remission.
CLG: Turning around underachievement of young Black men is a generational challenge that will be met by a long term commitment from Government, Communities Secretary John Denham, said last week. Recommendations from an independent REACH report made to Government 2 years ago identified the specific & unique barriers that are still holding back too many Black boys and young Black men.
Responding to those specific challenges has been the focus of Government's work in partnership with the community. A report published last week shows the progress that has already been made and highlights what further work is needed in three key areas:
* More action in communities
* Tackling underachievement in schools
* Raising aims & aspirations
Press release ~ REACH: Update report (2009) ~ National Role Models ~ An Independent Report to Government on Raising the Aspirations and Attainment of Black boys and Young Black Men ~ Directgov - Reach ~ CLG - Reach
Cabinet Office: Drawing on more than 30 of the best examples from around the world, Power in People’s Hands: Learning from the World’s Best Public Services is intended to show how giving people more control over the services they use and freeing frontline public servants to innovate can deliver better services & greater value for money.
The report, produced by the Strategy Unit in the Cabinet Office, looks at services that fall into five key strands. The report does not set out to identify the countries that are the ‘best in the world’ at providing public services, but to highlight specific schemes and projects that are world-leading.
BIS: The MacLeod Review of employee engagement has recommended government support and more cooperation by UK businesses both large & small to make sure the relationship between employees & employers is at the centre of successful business plans.
Press release ~ The MacLeod Review of employee engagement ~ Involvement and Participation Association (IPA) ~ IDEA – Employee Engagement ~ ScotGov - Employee Engagement in the Public Sector: A Review of Literature ~ Civil Service – Employee Engagement
NAO: A review by the National Audit Office of overpayments to public service pensioners totalling £90m has found a complex & fragmented administrative process, prone to error, and for which there is no clear overall responsibility. The process requires effective joint working between the parties involved (the 5 public service pension schemes, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS), but they have failed to achieve this.
The errors, which affect 6% of pensions being paid to members over state pension age in the 5 schemes, occurred over many years. Some of the parties involved raised concerns about the process as far back as the mid 1990s. No one party has taken responsibility for overseeing the whole process, ensuring it runs smoothly and resolving errors. The process therefore broke down in a number of ways.
Ofsted: A new report highlights how the best provision in family learning is boosting the skills, qualifications and confidence of children & adults in England. Published by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted), the report highlights the key features enabling children & adults to make good progress in their learning & attainment.
The survey focuses on targeting families most in need of support, the features of effective learning programmes, the impact of family learning on participating children & adults, and the models adopted to promote community cohesion.
Press release ~ Family learning: An evaluation of the benefits of family learning for participants, their families and the wider community ~ BIG – Family Learning ~
NAO: According to a new National Audit Office report, the Department for Communities and Local Government has shown commitment to financial leadership & governance and has improved its financial management over the last couple of years. However, there is more to do for the department to embed good financial management throughout the department and to improve the financial & business management skills of its staff.
The department has increased the number of professionally qualified finance staff, particularly in senior finance roles, and has shown a commitment to improving financial leadership & governance throughout the organisation. Further recruitment & training of staff with financial & business management skills would allow the department to improve further its analysis & interpretation of financial data and its management of complex activities.
The department has improved its business planning and decision-making, but the quality & analysis of the financial information supporting investment decisions still needs improvement and the investment process requires further development to deal better with situations requiring an urgent response.
Press release ~ NAO: Financial Management in the Department for Communities and Local Government
Press release ~ NAO: Financial Management in the Department for Communities and Local Government
