General Reports and Other Publications

FCO: The Government has launched a new report - The Economic Aspects of peace in the Middle East - which analyses the necessary conditions for economic progress in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
 
The Foreign Secretary said: "The starting point of the British Government's approach is clear.  There can be no lasting solution without security for Israel and a just settlement for the Palestinians.  So the UK is unstinting in its support for the principle of a two-state solution…….
 
"This report makes an important contribution to the peace process, identifying some of the most pressing economic priorities for the OccupiedPalestinianTerritories.  The most significant of these is easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinian people and goods. Israel and the PA need to act urgently to fulfil their obligations in order to achieve this."
Press release ~ The Economic Aspects of peace in the Middle East ~ FCO – Middle East Peace Process
 
IPCC: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has published a report 'Police Road Traffic Incidents: A Study of Cases Involving Serious and Fatal Injuries', whichexamines all road traffic incidents (RTIs)  involving the police that caused serious & fatal injuries in the two and a half years from April 2004 to September 2006.
 
It analyses the trends in the data and looks at the nature & circumstances of RTIs in more depth. In addition, it aims to highlight any lessons that can be learnt for policy and practice to help prevent future incidents.
Press release ~ 'Police Road Traffic Incidents: A Study of Cases Involving Serious and Fatal Injuries' ~ Independent Police Complaints Commission
 
DCSF: Schools Minster Andrew Adonis has reiterated the Government's support for the growing number of school councils, saying that they (in both primary & secondary schools) can lead to better behaviour and help young people understand their rights & responsibilities.
 
He was responding to a new report - Real decision making? School councils in action – which is the result of research commissioned by the government to look at what schools are currently doing to harness the views of their pupils.
 
The findings will inform revised guidance and support the work of School Councils UK (SCUK) in promoting school councils in both primary and secondary schools.
Press release ~ Real decision making? School councils in action ~ School Councils UK (SCUK) ~ School Councils – School Improvement ~ Schools Council Wales ~ Schools councils: their role in citizenship ~ Food Standards Agency - School council network ~ School Councils Handbook for Primary Schools
 
ScotGov: The Flooding Issues Advisory Committee (FIAC) is calling for key organisations to work together to take a more strategic approach to tackling flood risk management and to ensure communities are adequately protected from flooding.
 
The Scottish government ‘will be introducing a new Flooding Bill to address the inadequacies of current legislation and allow a more sustainable approach to flood risk management’.
Press release ~ Flooding Issues Advisory Committee (FIAC) ~ FIAC papers ~ ScotGov flooding ~ SEPA - Flooding
 
HC:  An analysis of the Healthcare Commission's national patient surveys of NHS patients in England has been published by the Picker Institute.
 
Commenting on the report, Dr Jonathan Boyce, the Healthcare Commission's director of surveys, said:  "This is a very useful analysis of our surveys.  It focuses on both trends over time and variations between trusts, allowing for good practice to be shared”.
Press release ~ Is the NHS becoming more patient centred? ~ Picker Institute - Europe ~ Healthcare Commission national patient surveys of NHS patients in England ~ Picker Institute, Inc. ~ DH: National survey of NHS patients
 
ESRC: New research from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) reveals that direct payments are being operated & experienced, very differently in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland making big differences to the uptake & operation.

Direct payments are funds paid by local authorities directly to disabled people and other community care service users, to buy-in their own support. Usually this takes the form of employing personal care assistants.

The payments, first introduced in 1997, have been controversial, as some have seen them as a covert means of privatising the delivery of public sector services, whilst for others they represent an important means of empowering those at the margins, of society by involving them as ‘co-producers’ of their services.
Press release ~ ESRC: Disabled People and Direct Payments: a UK comparative study ~ ESRC Society Today ~ DH – Self care
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