Policy Statements and Initiatives

ScotGov: A new phase of the award-winning No Knives, Better Lives initiative has been launched in Inverclyde. A series of new posters, bus advertisements and pavement chalk stencils will depict the life-changing choice between 'knife or life' that many young people face.
Press release ~ No knives, better lives
 
WAG: A major independent review of how education funding in Wales is allocated to schools, colleges & universities has been announced by Education Minister, Leighton Andrews. Itwill be conducted in 2 stages by external consultants with experience & expertise in this field to ensure complete objectivity & impartiality.
 
Scheduled to begin in February 2010, the first stage is an internal exercise looking at the costs of administering education in Wales using information collected by the Welsh Assembly GovernmentRecommendations for making savings & opportunities to move resources to front line services will be made by the end of March 2010.  A wider review of administering education across Wales will then follow.
Press release ~ WAG: Education and skills
 
ScotGovBBC Alba is playing an important role in Scotland's broadcasting landscape and should be available on Freeview, according to the Minister for Gaelic. Responding to the BBC Trust's consultation on its review of the Gaelic channel, Fiona Hyslop has sent a clear message of support for BBC Alba.
 
As the channel's principal funder, the Scottish Government's response says it is satisfied with the performance of the channel and is strongly in favour of it being made more widely available. With BBC Alba currently only available via satellite services, Ms Hyslop wants urgent action to be taken to extend availability to both cable & Freeview.  The BBC Trust's review will decide whether or not the channel should be made available on Freeview.
Press release ~ BBC Trust's (closed) consultation on its review of BBC Alba ~ BBC Alba
 
Newswire – 10DS: The Government announced a series of measures to ‘promote the aspirations of young people from all backgrounds and put social mobility at the heart of plans for economic growth’, when it published a response to ‘Unleashing Aspiration’, the final report from the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, setting out plans to implement the vast majority of the panel’s 88 recommendations.
 
The measures include the creation of an online National Internship Service and a Social Mobility Commission and a ‘guarantee’ for around 130,000 of the brightest pupils from low income backgrounds to benefit from structured assistance at secondary school.
Press release ~ Panel on Fair Access to the Professions – Unleashing Aspirations ~ Government’s response
 
ScotGovScottish literature will be showcased at Asia's leading community-based arts festival, thanks to support from the Scottish Government. Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop has approved funding of £10,000 to raise Scotland's profile at the festival which attracts thousands of book lovers from all over Asia and the world.  Running from 21 - 25 January 2010, the Jaipur Literature Festival is Asia's leading literary festival, which promotes cross-cultural appreciation by bringing together the best of Indian & international writers.
Press release ~ Jaipur Literature Festival
 
ScotGovFuture agricultural support should consist of 4 strands - direct payments, a top-up fund, rural development programme funding and Less Favoured Area (LFA) support. That was the main thrust of the interim report of the Pack Inquiry into the future of agricultural funding. Detailed consultation on the interim findings will now take place, with a series of meetings planned around the country.
Press release ~ Brian Pack Inquiry ~ Public meeting dates ~ Interim Report into Future Support for Scottish Agriculture
 
DCMS: Thousands of amateur sports clubs across the UK are missing out on a share of tax savings running into millions of pounds, Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has claimed. Sutcliffe wants more clubs to join the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme so they will have more money to help drive a sporting legacy from 2012.  Clubs eligible are those that encourage participation in a qualifying sport, are open to the whole community, without discrimination and ensure profits go back into the club, benefiting sport.
Press release ~ HMRC: Tax guidance for Community Amateur Sports Clubs ~ CASC
 
ScotGov: The latest Know the Score awareness campaign highlighting the dangers of taking cocaine launched last week. The focus of the ad, which highlights the health risks such as paranoia & chest pains (as well as increased chance of heart attack or stroke) is 'you don't know what you're getting with cocaine'.
 
The campaign, which is aimed at 16 to 22 year olds, will run in cinemas from last Friday and online later this month.  For the first time the Scottish Government has produced adverts specifically for Spotify the music streaming website popular with the target age group.
Press release ~ Know the Score ~ Parkour coaching in Glasgow ~ Young Scot wow
 
DCSF: Secretary of State, Ed Balls, has written to Sir Roger Singleton, the Chief Advisor on the Safety of Children, to ask for his initial views (this week) on the use of physical punishment in part-time educational & learning settings, in which adults may be able to rely on the defence of reasonable punishment.  
Schools Minister, Vernon Coaker, has also written to Ann Cryer MP to explain the background & context.
Press release ~ Ed Balls to Sir Roger Singleton ~ Vernon Coaker to Ann Cryer
 
DH: The most vulnerable people in society will be better protected by local agencies such as councils, the police and the NHS, Care Services Minister Phil Hope has claimed.  In response to the Government’s consultation on strengthening protection for vulnerable adults, new legislation will be introduced to enshrine in law the need for every local area to have in place a Safeguarding Adults Board, which will hopefully ensure that vulnerable adults who suffer abuse will have quick & easy access to the people who can help them best.
 
The Government, working with stakeholders, will now set in train a programme of work to lead & support all agencies involved in safeguarding adults.  There will also be a new cross Government Ministerial group which will oversee the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, set priorities, work up new policy and provide national leadership.
 
The Government is also working with the General Social Care Council on a system of registration for home care workers.  This will hopefully strengthen protection of vulnerable people, raise the quality of care provided and help prevent abuse.
Press release ~ Safeguarding adults: report on the consultation on the review of No Secrets ~ No secrets: guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse ~ DH: Vulnerable Adults ~ General Social Care Council
Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story