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Policy Statements and Initiatives
MoJ: Justice Secretary Jack Straw has announced a new structure for the Ministry of Justice, following the creation of the Ministry of Justice in May 2007, bringing together the responsibilities of the Department for Constitutional Affairs with the National Offender Management Service from the Home Office and the trilateral Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
This latest review has taken full account of the Carter review of Prisons and the key changes are in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), where HM Prison Service and the Probation Service will be brought together in NOMS from 1 April 2008.
Press release ~ Written Ministerial statement ~ Carter Review of Prisons ~ National Offender Management Service (NOMS) ~ HM Prison Service ~ Probation Service ~ Governance of Britain
ScotGov: Public bodies in Scotland will only be relocated in future where there are wider benefits for the taxpayer and no compulsory redundancies required, the Scottish Government has announced. ScotGov’s relocation policy is closely aligned to recommendations of a review of the public sector's assets, which will put in place strengthened estate management procedures.
Its relocation policy criteria include:
* consideration of relocation will be triggered by organisations when there is substantial restructuring or two years in advance of a property break
* relocation will only take place if it brings benefits for the Government - and there would be no compulsory redundancies
* the relocation of any organisation will be decided by Ministers only after a transparent appraisal of options and a proper analysis of business need
* the relocation of any organisation will be decided by Ministers only after a transparent appraisal of options and a proper analysis of business need
* the Small Units Initiative will continue, as it has brought high quality jobs to remote & rural areas, where even a small number of posts brings demonstrable benefits to the community
Press release ~ Asset Management Review Report to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth ~ Relocation Policy ~ ScotGov Location and Asset Management ~ Efficient Government Workstreams
CLG: The deadline for the Government's initiative for transferring local assets into community management & ownership, including disused schools, swimming pools, office blocks and community centres, closes on 15 February 2008.
Councils can hand over transfer any asset, to be owned or run by local people, if it is in the interest of the local community and successful projects can also apply for lottery funding under a £30m Cabinet Office fund to support social enterprise schemes.
Press release ~ How to express an interest ~ Making Assets Work The report on Community Management and Ownership of Public Assets ~ Opening the Transfer Window: The Governments Response to the Quirk Review ~ CLG – Community Empowerment ~ Community Call for Action ~ Public Request to Order Disposal (PROD) (scroll down) ~ Community Assets fund ~ Participatory Budgets
MoJ: A new package of measures aimed at tackling re-offending by getting prisoners off drugs & into work has been announced by Justice Secretary Jack Straw.
As well as stamping out the supply of drugs, the Government claims that it is helping offenders ‘kick the habit’ in prison. By 29 April 2008 prisons will have introduced the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) and, with the Dept. of Health, the government will be extending this scheme to a further 20 prisons over the next 12 months.
