General Reports and Other Publications
PC&PE: The Home Affairs Committee has published its Report on Police & Crime Commissioners: power to remove Chief Constables. The Report recommends that police & crime panels should fully exercise their powers of scrutiny in cases where the commissioner proposes to remove a chief constable.
TKF: A distinctive feature of the 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) that took over responsibility for the majority of the budget for commissioning health care services in the English NHS from 1 April 2013 is that they are membership organisations designed to harness the clinical expertise of their local GP members. Handing greater control of budgets to GPs was a key element of the government's Health & Social Care Act (2012).
However, one of the first studies to be conducted into the early experiences of CCGs, published last week by The King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust, suggests that member GPs are less likely to believe that their CCG is 'owned' by them when compared with the leaders of those CCGs.
While there was a great deal of support for what CCGs are trying to achieve, many of the GPs involved in the study felt that decisions being taken by their CCG did not always reflect their views.
While there was a great deal of support for what CCGs are trying to achieve, many of the GPs involved in the study felt that decisions being taken by their CCG did not always reflect their views.
PC&PE: The Justice Committee’s 4th Report of Session 2013–14, Environmental Offences Guideline: Consultation examines proposed sentencing guidelines on Environmental Offences published by the Sentencing Council.
NE: Natural England has published a report containing the final proposals for the 41 km stretch of England’s Coast Path which runs between Sea Palling on the east end of the north Norfolk coast, and Weybourne in the west. This follows on from a 3-month public consultation asking for people’s views on the draft proposals for this stretch of coast.
CIPD: The UK’s economic growth could be boosted if large firms adopted the entrepreneurial spirit that drives so much value in start-ups and small firms. According to new CIPD research, by encouraging a culture of ‘intrapreneurialism,’ big businesses could help their employees adopt entrepreneurial behaviours that foster innovation & growth.
ESRC: One of the greatest social changes across Europe in recent decades has been the increase of women in the labour market. However, changes in women’s work patterns have not always been matched by changes in the division of household tasks between the sexes, reveals a study from the European Social Survey (ESS).
So perhaps not unfairly women often feel their work is never done, with those working full-time still responsible, on average, for around two-thirds of the total time heterosexual couples spend on housework. However, with women doing most of the housework this can lead to feelings of work-life conflict - for men!
PC&PE: Cross-Government cooperation needed to help Service children get equal education opportunities, say MPs. The MoD must resolve a conflict at the heart of the Armed Forces Covenant in the provision of education to Service children, says the Defence Committee.
The nature of Service life means that families are required to be mobile if they are to accompany the Service parent. This mobility has major impact on the continuity of children’s education, in particular, parents can find it difficult to get their children into the schools of their choice.
PC&PE: The Public Accounts Committee publishes its 16th Report of this Session which examines the progress in minimising waste from the FiRecontrol project and achieving the original objectives through other means.
NLGN: Can Local Government innovate its way out of cuts? - The New Local Government Network posed this question in a recent survey of more than 65 councils from across the country. Depending on how you read the results, the findings are either remarkably optimistic or deeply worrying.
NO: The Local Government Ombudsman has issued a report into Wiltshire Council’s handling of a homelessness case, despite finding no significant injustice in the council’s treatment of the woman.
PC&PE: The House of Lords Constitution Committee last week published its report on the constitutional arrangements for the use of armed force, in which it criticises the Government’s lack of clarity over the need for a Commons vote before any steps are taken by the UK to arm the Syrian National Council.
PC&PE: There are risks to the justice system’s ability to convict criminals and meet the needs of victims unless there is a proper strategy for forensic science following the closure of the Forensic Science Service (FSS), the Science and Technology Committee has warned.
PC&PE: In a report published last week, the Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee calls on Government to produce a 5-year rolling Spending Review, aligned to the 5-year fixed term Parliament. Greater clarity on spending would reduce short-termism in policy planning & delivery.
LSIS: The Learning and Skills Improvement Service has published 3 new research reports on sustainability which can serve to inform & serve FE and skills sector learning providers as they look to embed sustainability skills & education for sustainable development (ESD) in their learning provision, building on the support and resources that LSIS has offered over the last three years.
“The publication of the reports marks the completion of the LSIS Leading and Learning for a Sustainable Future strategy which we launched in spring 2010”, said Conrad Benefield, LSIS Sustainability Programme Development Manager.
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