Policy Statements and Initiatives
CLG: Communities will now have a new way to combat the neighbours from hell who ruin neighbourhoods and cause misery for fellow tenants. For the first time, social landlords will be able to present their evidence in court through a new type of statement, which clearly sets out the harmful impact of anti-social behaviour on the community.
It comes ahead of new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour and strengthen the hand of landlords that will soon be announced by the Government.
BIS: The private sector and the open data community are to have greater influence over the release of public sector data to encourage the creation of high-value businesses & promote economic growth, the Government has announced.
A new independently chaired Data Strategy Board (DSB) will advise Ministers on what data should be released and has the potential to unlock growth opportunities for businesses across the UK. At least one in three members of the DSB will be from outside government, including representatives of data re-users.
WAG: 4 world-class institutions from Wales & Ireland have launched an exciting new alliance to lead the way in developing cutting-edge healthcare. The £1m Celtic Alliance for NanoHealth (CAN) will help companies on either side of the Irish Sea stay at the forefront of innovation & growth in what is a fast developing & hugely influential healthcare sector.
HMT: The Chancellor has launched the National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS), helping smaller businesses across the UK (with an annual group turnover of up to £50m) access cheaper finance. Around £5bn in guarantees will be made available in the first tranche.
Participating banks will pass on the entire benefit that they receive from the guarantees to smaller businesses across the UK through cheaper loans. Businesses that take out an NLGS loan will receive a discount of 1 percentage point compared to the interest rate that they would otherwise have received from that bank outside the scheme.
DH: More people should be able to spend their final days in a place of their choice and new Government funding will help to make this happen, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced last week. A new fairer funding system is needed but essential information needed to develop a system doesn’t exist.
8 pilots sites – with a share of £1.8m will collect this vital information and help the Government meet its aim of having a new per-patient funding system for both adult & children’s palliative care services.
BIS: Sustainable businesses will have the opportunity to provide information & data that will shape how the Green Construction Board (GCB) will deliver its plans for a low carbon built environment. Business Minister Mark Prisk, co-chair of the GCB, called on the construction industry to share their finest low carbon research & development expertise to help create a ‘knowledge database’.
During his speech, the Minister also announced the creation of a low carbon ‘Routemap’ by the GCB illustrating the overall required emissions reductions for industry and the measures which will deliver them up to 2050.
CLG: Greater Manchester will create & protect 6,000 jobs as the city signs an innovative deal with central government giving it new powers to create jobs & train local people with the right skills to fill them, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Cities Minister Greg Clark have announced recently.
These powers, including the ability to 'earn back' a portion of the additional tax generated by investing in infrastructure, have been agreed as part of the City Deals initiative, which ‘sees cities bid for powers to free them from Whitehall controls in order to boost growth locally’. Manchester is the first ever city in the country to secure such powers and will be able to reinvest the money in local economic development and infrastructure.
HO: Plans to turn the tide against irresponsible drinking and empower communities to reclaim their high streets were unveiled last week by Home Secretary Theresa May. The link between drink & social harm is clear, with almost 1m violent crimes and 1.2m hospital admissions involving alcohol in 2010/11 alone.
Press release ~ Alcohol Strategy ~ Find out about minimum pricing ~ NHS Confederation comment on Alcohol Strategy ~
