General Reports and Other Publications
PC&PE: Ministers must recognise their responsibility, not just accountability, for the conduct of their special advisers (SpAds) so that SpAds, Ministers and Civil Servants work effectively together.
In their report, the Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) says SpAds should be ‘men & women of standing and experience’ with a legitimate & valuable function to play in government, but they need better training & support to prevent future problems & misunderstandings about their role and conduct.
Ministers must recognise that they have responsibility, not just accountability, for the conduct of their special advisers, and actively ensure that they are fully aware of what their advisers are doing in their name.
Press release & links
Press release & links
TPA: A new report published by The Patients Association is calling for a renewed focus on infection prevention & control services (IPS) across the NHS. The survey of NHS staff found that almost all felt improvements in safety & outcomes had been delivered in recent years as a result of the high profile rise in infections such as MRSA, but that more needs to be done to address new risks.
The report (Rolling the Dice), produced in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing and the Infection Prevention Society, is being published to coincide with International Infection Prevention Week which runs from 14 October to 20 October 2012 .
WWF: A new report published by Green Alliance and WWF-UK argues that the ‘upcoming Energy Bill must incentivise energy efficiency and create a ‘market’ for electricity savings’. The report highlights research commissioned by the Government, which found that effective measures to reduce electricity use could mean that 40% of electricity demand might be avoided by 2030 – equivalent to the output of 15 nuclear power plants - saving in excess of £10bn per year.
NO: The Parliamentary Ombudsman has cautioned government organisations against refusing to pay compensation when their mistakes have left individual members of the public footing the bill. In a new report, the Ombudsman looks at how the Planning Inspectorate had handled 4 individual complaints about errors it had made. In each case, the Planning Inspectorate had failed to compensate individuals or organisations for mistakes which had caused them to incur extra costs.
The Planning Inspectorate closed its ex gratia payment scheme in March 2011 as part of its plans to reduce spending, forcing people to escalate their complaints to the Ombudsman to seek compensation.
NO: Birmingham
NO: London Borough of Bromley delayed in issuing a boy’s statement of special educational needs and failed to make the full provision specified in that statement, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Dr Jane Martin.
In her report, she recommends the Council to pay a total of £7,000 to recognise that its failures caused the boy unnecessary uncertainty, anxiety & stress, and a loss of opportunity to reintegrate into school, while his mother was caused justifiable outrage as well as unnecessary uncertainty & stress.
CIPD: To truly deliver for their organisations, HR professionals need to be ‘business savvy’, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). In response to new research by the Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by KPMG International, which found that HR is viewed as a non-essential department within some organisations, the CIPD highlights the unique position and value of HR.
NAO: The Government’s ability to show that its spending decisions represent the best value for money is being hindered by the patchy availability of good information. Last week’s report by the National Audit Office shows that many aspects of government budgeting compare well with good budgeting practice – particularly in support of the Treasury’s objective to control spending. The system is less effective at addressing objectives for prioritization of public spending and delivery of value for money across government.
HO: Gangs that lure victims to the UK and then exploit them for sex, labour & domestic slavery are being targeted following action by the government. A report published by the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group (IDMG) on Human Trafficking shows that more work than ever before is being carried out both in the UK and internationally to prosecute criminals and stop trafficking gangs in their tracks.
Ofsted: Deaf children’s entitlement to communicate & be communicated with is fundamental to their development and progress. This commitment, along with early diagnosis & timely access to well-coordinated support, helps deaf children’s well-being and life chances according to an Ofsted report published last week.
