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Policy Statements and Initiatives
WAG: Wales is the first country in the world to have a continuous path running along its coastline. The recently ‘completed’ 870 mile Wales Coast Path is expected to attract an extra 100,000 visitors to Wales every year.
As well as enjoying spectacular coastal scenery visitors will be able to visit 24 Cadw managed historic monuments along the Path, including iconic Caernarfon Castle, Harlech Castle and St Non’s Chapel. Last year Lonely Planet recommended the Welsh coastline as the no.1 region in the world to visit in 2012.
ScotGov: Hundreds of millions of pounds are to be spent across Scotland on increasing the supply of affordable housing, creating jobs and boosting the economy. The announcement will see all of Scotland’s 32 councils receive a share of almost £582m in subsidy over the next 3 years. This is part of ScotGov’s investment of at least £710m in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP).
MoJ: Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly met with business leaders recently to launch ‘Justice for Business: Supporting Business and Promoting Growth’.
The new paper outlines how the Government’s reform programme is making the justice system more effective, less costly and better for business. The reforms include ‘streamlined court processes, improved regulation of legal services and reduced burdens on business through cheaper and easier dispute resolution’.
The new paper outlines how the Government’s reform programme is making the justice system more effective, less costly and better for business. The reforms include ‘streamlined court processes, improved regulation of legal services and reduced burdens on business through cheaper and easier dispute resolution’.
WAG: The Minister for Education & Skills, Leighton Andrews, has announced new initial teacher training (ITT) incentives for eligible students undertaking postgraduate courses of further education (FE) in the 2012/13 academic year.
Defra: Defra has announced the launch of the 2012/13 air quality grant programme, with funds of £2m to support local authorities in tackling air pollution, in particular, reducing Nitrogen Dioxide emissions. Poor air quality harms health and can impact on ecosystems. Traffic emissions – one of the main sources of Nitrogen Dioxide – are often at the root of this problem.
Eligibility for the grant will be limited to English local authorities with one or more Air Quality Management Areas for NO2 or those authorities where the Government’s national air quality assessment in 2010 identified a high level of NO2 emissions in their area. Deadline for submission of grant applications is 22 June 2012. .
WAG: Environment Minister, John Griffiths has announced an extra £1m to ‘strengthen ecosystems and help make Wales’ natural environment more resilient to the effects of climate change’. The funding will support projects that deliver better outcomes for habitats & species, as well as projects aimed at tackling invasive, non-native species, such as Japanese Knotweed.
The Ecosystem Resilience, Diversity and Compliance Fund funding will be delivered through the Countryside Council for Wales and the Wales Biodiversity Partnership. The application window for projects closes on Friday 1 June 2012..
Press release & links ~ Countryside Council for Wales ~ Guidance for the Welsh Government Ecosystem Resilience & Diversity Fund 2012-13
Defra: Thousands of farms & rural businesses have a second chance to boost their business prospects with £ms in grant support. Applications will be invited for grants to enable businesses to buy new machinery & develop green projects, or for remote areas to get superfast broadband to help transform their businesses and the wider community.
The grants total £40m and mark the opening of the second round of the Rural Community Broadband Fund (closes on 6 July 2012) and the publication of guidance to a second wave of applicants to the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (closes on 17 July 2012).
HO: Policing & Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert wrote to officers across England & Wales ahead of the Police Federation march in London to set out the government’s agenda for policing.
CLG:
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