General Reports and Other Publications

OFT: The OFT has published a report to measure the overall value of ‘consumer detriment’ in the UK economy, which estimates that the cost to UK consumers over the last 12 months was around £6.6bn.  'Consumer detriment' refers to any instance where a customer suffers as a result of their dealings with an organisation, partly or wholly as a result of the organisation accidentally or deliberately treating the customer unfairly.
 
For every 1,000 consumers interviewed, 542 problems were identified and, across the whole of the UK population, this equates to an estimated 26.5m problems over the last year.  The report found that on average, the highest level of financial detriment occurred in the insurance sector, followed home maintenance and improvements, and personal banking.
Press release ~ Consumer detriment ~ Consumer Direct
 
DH: The Department of Health's Chief Scientist and Director General for Health Improvement and Protection, Professor David Harper, has published his progress review on the implementation of the 2003 Genetics White Paper
 
Key achievements of investment in this area have been the establishment of the:
* UK Genetic Testing Network (UK GTN) in 2003 to support equitable access to genetic testing services to patients based on clinical need, not where they live, and
* National Genetics Education Centre to work with regulatory and professional bodies to ensure all healthcare professionals in the NHS have an understanding of the role of genetics in the care they provide
Press release ~ UK Genetic Testing Network (UK GTN) ~ National Genetics Education Centre ~ Genetics White Paper: Our inheritance, our future ~ Our inheritance, our future: Realising the potential of genetics in the NHS - Progress Review ~ Royal Society: Response to the Department of Health’s three year review of the genetics White Paper ~ DH - Genetics ~ NLH - Genetic Conditions ~ Review of Genetics in Relation to Healthcare in Scotland
 
ScotGov: A joint thematic inspection report on wildlife crime has been published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) and the Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland, which highlights the need for:
* a clear wildlife crime reduction strategy from the Scottish Government and
* an inclusive national partnership structure to take this forward

The report followed a debate at the Scottish Parliament on 4 October 2007 relating to increasing concerns about wildlife crime.  The remit of the inspection was to consider & make recommendations on the arrangements for the prevention, investigation and prosecution of wildlife crime.
Press release ~ Natural Justice: A Joint Thematic Inspection of the Arrangements in Scotland for Preventing, Investigating and Prosecuting Wildlife Crime ~ Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS) ~ Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland ~ Central Scotland Police - Wildlife Crime ~ Ministerial response
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